The Blizzard Badge
by Texan Red Rose
Summary: Anna set off on her Pokémon journey to find her Delibird, Olaf, a home. That journey eventually led her to Arendelle City, home of the legendary and elusive Blizzard Badge. [Elsanna, Pokémon AU]
1. Prologue: A Cry for Help

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or Frozen. If I did, I'd totally make this an animated short for the next movie. Also, if you're caught up with X/Y and OR/AS, this is a heads up that Mega evolutions won't be featured in this fic. While I think some of them are _really_ cool, I figure the gadgets used to trigger them aren't widespread enough (yet) to justify any character having them. Sorry if you're disappointed.

* * *

Every journey starts with a spark of adventure and a Pokémon, typically in that order. The same was true for Anna Andersen with one notable exception: she met her first Pokémon before ever considering going on an adventure.

She was just shy of her tenth birthday- the benchmark most kids looked forward to- with only a passing interest in the creatures that inhabited the forest surrounding her small town when it happened. Playing in her backyard, she nearly ran into the house when she heard the telltale sounds of a creature moving through the tall grass behind the back fence.

Now, Anna didn't have an aversion to _all_ Pokémon; it was just that most of those who lived in the forest were a bit scary. She was never too fond of the bug types and the Spearow were _vicious_ when it came to defending their territory, as she'd learned more than once before. Given neither of her parents had any Pokémon of their own, running into the house was the only sure-fire way to protect herself, and she _certainly_ didn't think she was cut out to head out in a few months' time and tackle the forest, much less the world that lay beyond.

Some of the other kids called her weird, as if the only possible future lay in traveling the world as a Pokémon trainer. Even young as she was, the redhead wasn't about to believe that. Her father was a simple carpenter and she had already started helping him out with simple projects; she could easily take over his position in town, once she became old enough. Sure, it wasn't a glamorous life, but that was completely okay by her. It didn't involve being pecked to death by Spearow, caccooned by Caterpie, or bit by a Rattata; yep, she could totally handle being a carpenter.

But as her hand landed on the back door's knob, a sound caught her ears that was worlds away from anything she'd heard come from the forest or its denizens before: a squawk of pain. The cry itself was new to her, belonging to none of the flying types that lived in the forest, the ones she'd learned to avoid. Regardless of its unfamiliarity, it _was_ in pain, that much she was certain of, and a second, weaker cry pulled Anna away from the safety of her house and towards the back fence. Despite her apprehension, she couldn't very well leave a creature in agony and not do anything.

Mustering her courage and scaling the wood, the redhead peeked over the top and gasped at what she saw.

She was right. It didn't look like any bird she'd ever seen before- with dirty white feathers and the end of its tail tucked up under one wing- but it was definitely injured and shaking slightly, wide eyes staring up at her pleadingly, begging for help.

In that moment, her decision was made.

Hopping over the fence, she scooped the bird into her arms and ran into town. He was light, almost alarmingly so, and making small noises of discomfort as she tried her best to hold him gently. Jostling him was unavoidable but that didn't make the redhead feel any better. She didn't stop until she was dashing into the Pokémon Center, struggling to catch her breath while offering up the injured Pokémon to the attendant nurse.

Nurse Joy, ever the professional, quickly saw to the poor creature, hooking it up to machines that she promised would heal the poor thing. Anna waited outside the recovery room until the woman rejoined her, leaving the Pokémon alone within.

"I'm so glad you found him," Nurse Joy said, glancing at the Pokémon as it recuperated. "This poor little guy wouldn't have made it much longer without your help, especially in this climate."

"Why? What is it?" Anna pinched her brows in confusion.

"He's a juvenile Delibird. They're ice types common in snowy mountain areas." Nurse Joy explained with a soft smile that melted into a frown. "Unfortunately, they don't live in any area in our region. He was probably released by a travelling trainer and couldn't adapt to the climate. His coloring is extremely rare, so I can't imagine _why_ someone would do that, but he will make a full recovery thanks to you. I'll contact Professor Thatch and see if he can take him."

Nurse Joy sighed and turned away, walking back to the front of the Center while Anna watched the Delibird through the glass window of the door. The entire time she'd stood there, the Pokémon watched her with wide eyes, obviously frightened.

She wondered what it must be like, being captured by a trainer and then abandoned, left to fend off the world while lost and confused. How _horrible_ it must feel. How lonely...

"Nurse Joy?" Anna turned her head, waiting for the woman to acknowledge her. "Is it okay if I take him?"

"Are you sure, Anna?" Nurse Joy smiled gently and tilted her head, clasping her hands in front of her. She wasn't quite to the main desk yet, just at the end of the hallway, but apparently no less convinced she needed to contact the local Pokémon expert. "Pokémon are a big responsibility for their trainers and this Delibird will need attentive care, especially in the summer."

"Then I'll take him home." The redhead put a hand on the glass of the door, watching how the Delibird seemed to perk up at the action. "I'll travel every mountain in the world if I have to, but I'll find him a home."

"Sweetheart, it's not that easy." Nurse Joy sighed. "That's a big journey to undertake."

"But most kids leave town when they turn ten anyway. Why am I any different?"

"Most kids have been studying to become Pokémon trainers for a few years before even choosing their starter. If I remember correctly, you weren't planning on becoming a Pokémon trainer at all, and though this Delibird _is_ a Pokémon, he won't be ready to battle for a few months, so you'll still need to arrange for a starter." She was using what Anna had come to recognize as an adult's patient explanation voice, as if she was expecting the young girl to object at any moment. "And what about your parents? They might not like the idea of you leaving on such a long journey unprepared."

Anna bit her lip, glancing back at the Delibird. While her gaze was diverted, he'd started fidgeting, looking around in fear. The poor thing probably felt like nothing was ever going to get better but the moment her eyes landed on him, his attention was riveted back to her. She had helped him and was probably the only human to show him kindness, if Nurse Joy's suspicion was correct. Even if her parents didn't like the idea, even if she was woefully unprepared, even if she was making a mistake, could she really turn her back on and abandon him?

"You're right... but there's still time to change all that. I'll go talk to Professor Thatch and my parents right now." She nodded resolutely, turning her best attempt at a 'serious adult face' on Nurse Joy. "I found him, so he's _my_ responsibility now. I'm not going to abandon him like his last trainer did."

Opening the door, Anna quickly strode over to the Delibird, smiling as it seemed to calm the closer she got. Putting a hand on his head seemed to solidify her resolve to help him in any way she could, especially when he pushed into her touch affectionately. Injured as he was, he didn't stir even the slightest amount of fear in the redhead, bolstering her confidence in her decision.

"Hey, little guy. I'll come check on you soon but right now, I've got some serious work to do. Don't cause Nurse Joy too much trouble now, okay?"

The Delibird chirped in response, apparently accepting her request and remaining quiet as she left the room, her destination Professor Thatch's lab.

It was the first step on her journey, one she imagined would take a few years at most. Find the Delibird a home in snow capped mountains somewhere, then come back home.

How hard could it be?

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Author's Note: Alright, Gamergurl1986, David Davidson and guest reviewer Pikachu, here you guys go. Since it's already written, updates daily whenever I wake up. Or whenever my internet decides to cooperate, whichever happens first. Also, to reiterate: don't say I didn't warn you about lack of quality! When I do fusions, I try my hardest to strike a tone somewhere between both source materials. Character development is not a strong point in the Pokémon universe (hell, sometimes, there is no plot to the episodes). So, while I tried to clean it up, I'm still going to own up to this not being very good overall. Still, I hope you guys enjoy it!


	2. A Favorable Prospect

Disclaimer: Still don't own shit. Also, yes, I completely lack originality when naming a new fictional region in a fictional Pokémon alternate universe. So shoot me.

* * *

_Ten Years Later_

Anna sighed, scratching her head as she gazed at the route ahead. Beside her, the Delibird that started this whole mess chirped to himself, hugging her leg.

"It's not _that_ bad, Olaf." She grinned down at him, adjusting her scarf. Given she was pretty well versed in traversing the colder regions of the world by this point, Anna had dressed herself appropriately, with a heavy pink jacket, matching mittens, and plenty of layers beneath. Even Olaf wore a jacket to keep him warm, though several trainers she met along the way assured her that he didn't need it. Whatever; he was _her _Delibird, and she wanted to be sure he was comfortable. Olaf had never complained to her, so it really didn't matter what other trainers thought. It also helped her keep an eye on him, seeing as his all white feathers blended in well with the snow, unlike other members of his species. "I think people were just exaggerating. We've totally dealt with worse."

Ever since coming to the Yensid region, Anna had heard stories about the legendary Arendelle City, a place high in the northern mountains that was extremely difficult to get to, with a Gym Leader that was unbeatable.

Not undefeated, mind- _unbeatable_. To the point that the badge the Gym awarded- the Blizzard Badge- was not required to gain access to the Pokémon League. In fact, if one actually managed to attain the badge, that trainer was granted access to the League regardless if they got _any_ of the other available badges in the region. From what Anna could tell, only one person had managed to win the Blizzard Badge in recent memory: the _current_ Gym Leader. The former resigned promptly upon defeat, and that was between three and five years ago, depending on who told the story.

That was the problem with being unbeatable, she supposed; one lost battle, and the distinction moved on to the victor.

However, the stories about the Gym Leader were told- and, by Anna's estimation, _designed_\- to sound tempting to any trainer looking to prove themselves. The route to Arendelle City was more dangerous than most, constantly plagued by blizzards brought on by roaming Abomasnow and other ice types, even in the heat of summer. In the city that lay behind her, every able bodied person and Pokémon belonged to a rescue team that would patrol for stranded trainers up to a certain point along the route, and the stories of those who attempted to reach the isolated city decorated the Pokémon Center and other establishments.

Despite all this, Anna had heard several ridiculous stories over the years through out the several regions she'd traveled through- legends and myths and all manner of impossible things, though a few turned out to be true- so she wasn't about to take the story of the Blizzard Badge at face value. She certainly wasn't about to skip on an icy mountain range for the sake of a few stories, either, and while it might be prudent to wait until the worst of the stormy season had passed, she was running a bit low on funds.

Anna hadn't made it a point to battle frequently during her travels. If she was challenged by a particularly stubborn opponent, she'd relent, but otherwise limited her battling to regional Gyms so she could earn enough money to continue funding her search. So, while she had a handful of badges from across the world, she hadn't ever managed to obtain more than three per region she visited. That system had worked exceptionally well until she encountered Glowerhaven.

"I'm sure we'll be fine, as long as we're together, right buddy?"

Olaf looked up at her, nodding slowly and chirping in agreement, his confidence growing as she continued to smile at him. He'd started off a bit skittish, especially after she kept him inside his pokéball for the first two months of her journey to reach a cooler climate, but his goofy antics slowly grew on her. It had taken more than a little time for both of them to adjust but it was for the best; Anna could hardly imagine a time when she believed she could live her whole life without a Pokémon companion, much less Olaf. Really, all of her companions managed to win a piece of her heart, especially her current team, and she was almost glad for that one careless trainer who'd abandoned the Delibird all those years ago.

Almost. If given the chance, she'd still give that person an earful about responsibility.

"Alright, let's do this!" Anna laughed as Olaf lightly flapped his wings in excitement, the two starting down the path confidently, side-by-side, gravel crunching underfoot. After a minute or so, she spoke. "If it gets too bad, just let me know. You'll be safe in your pokéball."

Olaf squawked his indignation and flapped his wings, earning a giggle from the redhead. It was exactly the reaction she was expecting but it that didn't put a damper on her amusement.

"Just because you're an ice type doesn't mean you don't get cold." She teased, relenting after he pecked her lightly in the leg. "Alright, alright! I won't make you go, if you're _that_ set against it." He jumped up, flapping his wings again to get just enough lift so she could grab him, hugging the Delibird. "There. Warm hug quota met for today?" She laughed as he tilted his head. "Okay, for the hour at least?"

Olaf nodded, gliding back to the ground once she'd released him and settling into step beside her.

"Hey! Wait!" A voice called out, prompting both trainer and Pokémon to pause and look behind them, searching the path and, eventually, the air for whoever called out. There, flying towards them, was a trainer riding a Dragonite, both bundled up against the sharp chill. Anna recognized the young man as one of the trainers she'd met in town but she couldn't quite remember his name. Okay, honestly, she recognized the Dragonite a bit more readily; there was a slight discoloration on its underbelly that marked it apart from the other Pokémon she'd seen in town. As it landed a few meters away, kicking up bits of dirt and dust, Anna noticed how its eyes seemed far too fearful and sad for such a gentle dragon type but was quickly distracted by its dismounting trainer. "You're not seriously trying to go to Arendelle City right now, are you?"

He was a tall, handsome redhead with a winning smile- those being the only descriptors she could think of seeing as that was all she could gather from his appearance. Given how heavily he was dressed against the cold, she imagined he didn't spend much time in cooler climates; from head to toe, he was obviously wrapped in several layers, only his face visible between the thick scarf around his neck and beanie and hoodie pulled low over his forehead. Heck, if it wasn't for the sideburns, she might not have been able to guess his hair color!

"Uh, yeah. Why?" She grinned slightly at the realization that she'd probably looked as ridiculous during her first year in cold mountains of northern Sinnoh as he did now.

"The Abomasnow are moving through the route this time of year. It's _extremely_ dangerous." He smiled, motioning back towards the town. "Maybe you should try waiting it out? I'm sure it won't take more than a few weeks at most."

Suddenly, it all came back to her. His name was Hans and he was bound and determined to share lodging with her- among other things, she was certain. He made a compelling argument; the rates around town were relatively decent for the average trainer, but those who were exceptionally cautious would often wait weeks, even months at a time for a large enough group to assemble and head up the mountain. Between the trail guides, 'trainer friendly' establishments, and constant assurances that the weather would improve soon, the redhead was certain the Blizzard Badge brought more wealth to the surrounding area than to Arendelle City itself.

A few years ago, she might've agreed to his request. He was charming and handsome, probably very popular with the girls back home, but she wasn't about to be intimidated by the threat of blizzards. They were old hat by now anyway. Besides, Olaf _really_ didn't like him, pressing close to her and ruffling his feathers in a display of agitation and aggression. She'd come to trust his judgment just as he accepted her orders, especially after one too many encounters with various shady organizations.

Still, she could at least be polite.

"I appreciate your offer, Hans, but I think I'll take my chances." Anna turned to continue up the path, gently ushering Olaf along as he continued glaring at the other trainer.

"Seriously, it's _very_ dangerous." He tried again.

She rolled her eyes but hid her exasperation behind a polite mask as she turned towards him, walking backward to continue putting distance between them. "I'll be fine! I have my Pokémon, so there's nothing for me to be afraid of." She gestured back to Glowerhaven. "Just head back to town for now and I'll see you up there in a week!"

Once she'd turned back around, she pretended not to hear any subsequent calls. They'd walked for twenty minutes before Anna acknowledged Olaf's beady glare.

"Just because you don't like him doesn't mean I can't be nice, Olaf." She reached down and smoothed back his ruffled feathers. "Don't worry; I don't plan on _actually_ seeing him in a week."

The Delibird merely huffed in response.

* * *

Anna was never a fan of psychic types, mainly because they always seemed to anticipate things she only considered in retrospect. Like, using one of her fire type Pokémon to keep her warm as she trudged through the snow or stopping the night at the checkpoint that pretty much served as the boundary for the rescue squad.

But, against better judgment, she continued on... and now she was paying the price.

"Gah!" Her foot snagged on something she couldn't see, causing her to trip and fall forward into the cold snow, sinking several inches into it. Olaf was beside her in a moment, squawking at her constantly, begging her to get up. Through the howling wind and the pelting of a freezing rain, Anna could barely hear her companion.

Around midday, the gravel and dirt path had become buried under snow as they climbed higher into the mountains, and the temperature dropped proportionally. It wasn't until the sun started to dip low on the western horizon that snow began to fall, mixed in with tiny bits of hail. It hadn't seemed so bad at first but, with every hour spent hiking higher up the mountain, the wind, snow, and hail had gotten worse, sporadic blasts of sleet accompanying the mixture. The clear boundaries of the path had fallen away as the blizzard intensified, the biting wind making it difficult to see more than a few feet in front of her. Thick clouds overhead obscured the sky and the chill had long ago seeped into her bones before falling face first into the snow.

She couldn't be sure they were even _on_ the trail anymore.

It was getting hard to think straight.

She was _so_ cold.

But she had her priorities.

"O-o-olaffff." Her teeth chattered as Anna shivered uncontrollably. She'd read more than a bit about hypothermia, seeing as she was always scaling mountains covered in ice and snow, but never had she imagined she would feel the effects. Even in the best of conditions, she probably didn't have much time before her motor functions became completely unreliable. "O-olaf, c'mere."

The Delibird continued hitting at her with his wings, nudging her, trying to get her up. She rolled onto her side, at first earning an encouraging chirp from Olaf, which quickly devolved into frantic squawks of protest as she fumbled for the pokéballs on her belt.

"I-I-I-I'm ssssssssso sssssorry, bu-ddy." Anna managed to pull his pokéball free, hitting the button to enlarge it and aiming at the frantic Delibird with a shaky hand. "I r-r-r-really am. R-r-r-return."

It killed her inside, seeing his look of utter devastation as the red beam hit his shoulder, returning him to the relative safety of the pokéball. Being an ice type, he probably would've survived the intense cold, but she wasn't willing to take that chance. If she'd given him the option, he would've stayed by her side, long after the storm stopped, for days on end, even as he wasted away. At least while he was in the pokéball, time wasn't working against him; he still had a chance.

Struggling to her knees and pulling her pack from her shoulders, Anna emptied out everything inside as best she could. Food, spare clothes, potions and the like; all the non-essentials. She was shaking badly, finding it more difficult to keep her mind focused on the task at hand, but she was determined. Shoving her pokéballs into the pack with her trainer ID, she looked around for a low branch she could hang the pack on so the next person to travel this way would see it and save her precious companions inside.

Instead of a branch, her gaze fell on a Glaceon that was padding towards her, easily traversing along the snow and undeterred by the bone chilling winds. It stopped a few feet from her, tilting its head in curiosity.

The only thought Anna's sluggish brain could latch onto was how weird it was that a wild Pokémon wasn't running from her or launching an attack. They didn't usually do that, unless they were adjusted to being around humans. Usually, that meant having a trainer.

A trainer.

"G-g-g-glaceon, please... t-t-t-take this... to... your trainer." She offered the pack's strap to the Glaceon, her arms shaking so badly that she considered it might be easier to just let go... but she wouldn't, not until the Glaceon had taken the strap. Not until _they_ were safe.

Breathing was becoming increasingly difficult, as if ice was forming on the inside of her lungs. It burned to heave every breath but focusing on breathing kept her from falling to the snow. That and the pack still clutched in her hand.

Sniffing at the pack, the Glaceon backed up a step, blue light temporarily blinding Anna as some sort of ice attack launched from the Glaceon into the sky above.

"P-p-p-please." Anna choked on the word, the pack slipping through her numb fingers. She tried to grab for it but the Glaceon had finally bit into the strap, pulling it away. With a grateful smile, the redhead pitched forward into the snow, no longer strong enough to keep upright.

At least her Pokémon would be safe. She already missed them but forced down the tears stinging at her eyes. Or maybe that was just the wind. She couldn't be sure anymore. Coherent thought was too difficult.

The last things she experienced before closing her eyes was the accumulating snow pressing down on her, the sight of some strange ball hovering over her, and the dull tromping of a wandering Abomasnow that her slowing heartbeat seemed to match.

* * *

Author's Note: No surprises to be found here. Absolutely none. Except for how many people seem interested in this. That's a bit surprising.


	3. Cold As Ice

Disclaimer: Don't. Own. Shit.

* * *

Returning to the waking world after nearly freezing to death was, admittedly, a strange experience. Realizing she was _warm_ perhaps took the cake for being the strangest sense of surprise she'd ever felt.

Then, it fell second to the realization that she was _alive_ enough to be aware of all this.

Forcing her eyes open, Anna took in her surroundings with growing alarm. She could barely remember anything beyond the bitter cold from before she blacked out but there was one really important thing missing: Olaf. Where was he? What happened? What about her other Pokémon?

She struggled to sit up, barely registering the bed she was on and focused only on finding Olaf. Every breath hurt to take, her mouth was dry, her head pounded, but that could all wait. And what about the others? Her friends, her companions- she had to find-

"Whoa, hey, slow down there, Feisty Pants! You're in no condition to be moving around just yet." A strong baritone cut through the myriad of thoughts assaulting her mind. Anna swung her gaze around and nearly tipped over the side of the bed, stopped from an abrupt collision with the floor by two strong hands on her shoulders. "You need to rest."

"But- My Pokémon-"

"Miss Andersen, please listen to me."

She blinked blearily at the man next to her, trying to focus on his features. Everything about her felt so sluggish. "How do you... know my name?"

"Good, you recognize your name." She could practically feel his relief, even though his features were still a bit fuzzy. Her vision was sharpening though, slowly bringing everything into focus. "We were worried you'd hit your head at some point and some people are pretty sluggish mentally in recovering from hypothermia anyway, so... yeah. Your coordination's going to be off for a day or two but, if you feel up to eating something, you should be at least about to move around a bit by tomorrow morning. By some miracle, you aren't suffering any permanent damages from frostbite, so you should be fine in a few days." The man smiled, large brown eyes steadily holding her gaze. He seemed nice enough, at least, with his broad features and shaggy blond hair. "My name's Kristoff Bjorgman and you're in Arendelle City. Do you remember much about how you got here?"

"Not really. I got caught in a blizzard, I know that much, but the rest..." She shook her head and shivered involuntarily, wincing as her stiff neck protested both movements. "I remember the cold the most."

"Yeah, it was our worst one so far this year. You're lucky Elsa found you so quickly; by the time she got you back here, we thought you might not make it through. You've been asleep for two days." He sighed, patting her shoulder gently. Kristoff was wearing relatively light clothing- simple pants, a shirt, and a vest, all of which looked too thin to provide much warmth- and had his sleeves rolled up, exposing well muscled forearms. At her questioning frown, he explained continued. "Elsa's the Gym Leader here. She usually takes her team out during especially bad storms to scout the route for wayward trainers, in case they got caught in a storm."

"I don't remember a trainer... just..." Anna squinted, her memory coming back in bits and pieces. "A Glaceon."

"Yep, that's one of them. Elsa's trained them for things like this, which is pretty cool." He winced, laughing awkwardly before clearing his throat. "Okay, that was a bad and unintentional pun, I promise. Anyway, I'll go grab you some food real quick, then I'll go down to the Pokémon Center and pick up your team, okay?"

"No need, Kris." Anna turned her head at the new voice, much softer and more feminine than Kristoff's. A blonde entered her field of vision, holding the redhead's pack, dressed head to toe in light blue cold weather gear, including a scarf and beanie that obscured all but the braid over one shoulder and eyes that were an even brighter blue than her garb. The outfit itself was the same color as the Blizzard Badge and Anna would've found that utterly ridiculous if she hadn't been so relieved at seeing her pack held out to her. "I believe this is yours."

Anna reached for the bag and rooted through it, releasing Olaf from his pokéball the moment she found it wiggling at the bottom of the pack. The Delibird seemed confused at his surroundings for only a moment before catching sight of her and launching himself onto the bed, hugging Anna with his wings. She wrapped her arms around Olaf and started apologizing instantly, stroking his feathers to soothe him while he squawked and chirped up a storm.

"I'm _so_ sorry, buddy, I swear I was just trying to protect you." She muttered, earning a glare that quite clearly told her what he thought about _that_ plan. "I know, I know, I wasn't thinking clearly, I said I'm sorry!"

Olaf huffed, turning his attention to the strangers, who both seemed surprised at the display.

"I've never seen a Delibird quite like that before." Kristoff mumbled, caught between reaching forward to pet him and leaving the room to get Anna her promised food. The blonde just stood there.

Anna was watching Olaf's reaction carefully. After a few tense moments, Olaf turned his attention back to Anna, continuing to complain about her behavior; to the redhead, that was as good as character appraisals ever got, usually. Still, it wasn't very polite.

"Olaf, be nice to these people. They saved our lives." Anna chided gently, nudging the Delibird to be more social.

Almost immediately, Olaf detached himself from Anna to throw himself at the woman still standing by the bed, who caught the bird with only a little difficulty. She ended up falling hard into a seat by the desk in the room- wait, she was in an actual bedroom? Not a hospital?- with a small groan after losing the battle to keep her balance.

"Good reflexes, Elsa." Kristoff laughed, taking his leave before Olaf could target him. "He can attack me when I get back. I just hope he doesn't make me spill your food!"

Anna giggled, trying to stay awake as her panic died away completely. Without the adrenaline coursing through her system and her companions back in her possession, the redhead felt entirely content to just go back to bed. However, food was probably a very good idea, even if she didn't have much in the way of energy to eat it, so Anna settled for watching as Olaf hugged the blonde, who was returning the gesture with a quirked brow while removing her beanie and scarf.

"He's very... friendly." Elsa tilted her head slightly as the Delibird suddenly disengaged and ran back to Anna, this time climbing onto the bed gingerly and sitting down close to Anna's head, apparently done fussing at her for the time being.

The redhead reached a hand up, stroking through his feathers. "Actually, Olaf is usually really adverse to people. He was abandoned by his last trainer so he tends to react negatively to people he feels might threaten me. I guess it works the other way, too. Most of the time, it's a good sign if he doesn't completely ignore your existence or try to peck you." She turned her gaze to Elsa. Without the beanie and scarf, Arendelle City's Gym Leader was strikingly beautiful, pale skin a perfect backdrop for piercing blue eyes. Anna was a little intimidated, barely finding her voice in time to continue. "I am deeply grateful for you help, Miss Elsa. I don't know what I can do to repay you."

"I consider it part of the Gym Leader's responsibilities, Miss Andersen," Elsa replied, somewhat stiff and formally, crossing her legs and leaning back in the chair, arms over her chest. "But... would you mind answering some questions? It's not often we get a visitor."

"Really?" The redhead's brows knit together. "There were whole groups planning to make the journey in a couple weeks."

The other woman tilted her head. "I suppose I misspoke; we don't often get _just one_ unconscious visitor in the middle of the night." Anna's gaze instantly reverted to the ceiling at the blunt reminder of her rather poor decision making. "I must admit to being curious as to what would prompt someone to make the dangerous trek alone."

Anna nodded, waiting until Olaf rearranged himself to wrap an arm around him. He nuzzled into her side, bringing a soft smile to her lips; she swore he sometimes acted more like a human child than a Pokémon. "I suppose that makes sense. You probably think I'm crazy, huh?"

"That, or you posses a genuine death wish." Elsa narrowed her eyes, her demeanor shifting almost too suddenly for Anna to accurately recognize. It was like she was facing the fury of the blizzard all over again, in human form. "If the latter, I refuse to apologize for thwarting you."

The redhead held up one hand in surrender. "I promise I didn't-"

"Then why do something so incredibly _stupid_?"

Anna blinked in surprise at the sudden harshness in Elsa's tone and the thinly veiled anger burning in her eyes. Her immediate reaction was to snap back a reply- because, really, Gym Leader or not, who the _hell_ did this woman think she was?- but Olaf dug his beak into her side, as if reminding _her_ to be nice.

She sighed, grumbling back at the blonde while focusing on the window. "Glowerhaven is obviously profiting from the nearly legendary, dangerous route to Arendelle City. I didn't take their warnings as anything other than tactics to keep trainers spending money there. So sue me."

Both were silent a few moments before Elsa spoke, an edge to her voice despite its softer volume. "Was a badge really worth the risk of being wrong?"

"I didn't come for the Blizzard Badge." She winced. "Well, okay, I kinda did, but not really. See, I was going to get it and head down to the League, but that's only if things work out here for Olaf." At the prolonged silence, the redhead sighed. She didn't have the guts to see if the Gym Leader was still angry with her but figured explaining the whole story couldn't hurt. The woman apparently already believed her to be an idiot; how much worse could her opinion get? "I'm from Kanto, originally. Someone dumped Olaf in the forest outside my home when I was a kid and I made it my mission to find him a nice, icy mountain to call home." She shrugged as best she could. "The only reason I came to this region was for the mountain range and Arendelle City was my best bet, given how Olaf has reacted to the places we've been to already."

"But you still came for the badge." Elsa sat forward slightly, her voice strained. To Anna, it sounded as though the blonde was barely keeping her anger or frustration in check though it did little to blunt the accusatory tone.

"Yes, but only because the prize money from beating the Elite Four would give me a nice cushion to start up here." Anna chuckled, shaking her head, recalling her parents' surprise when she'd explained her plan to them. "As much as I miss home, I can't imagine leaving Olaf behind now. He's just... he's family now, so I can't just dump him somewhere, leave, and never come back. That's why Arendelle City's the best bet: it's small enough so he won't be stressed and cold enough so he's comfortable. The whole Blizzard Badge legend was just a bonus, an easy way to make enough money, but that was never my concern. This was my last stop in Yensid before moving on to the next region." She ran her hand through Olaf's feathers again. "I can work out the details for _my_ future later, though. My primary focus is finding a place for Olaf to be comfortable and happy."

"He seems perfectly content with you as his trainer." Elsa noted as she stood, striding to the window and opening it up. Anna was about to protest the chilly wind flooding the room when she heard the deep, rumbling growl of an Abomasnow. A moment later, the Pokémon's head appeared, eyes scanning the room before settling on Anna and Olaf. Instinctively, the redhead tried to get up and push her Delibird behind her, shielding him from the larger Pokémon. When Elsa turned back, the anger had settled slightly. "I apologize for the cold but this won't take long; Marshmallow just likes to check up on the people we bring to town from the route to make sure they're okay."

Olaf perked up as Marshmallow grumbled some more, hopping down form the bed to waddle over to the window, chirping and squawking in response to the other Pokémon's growls. After a few moments of chatter between the two, Anna relaxed back into the bed, convinced neither Pokémon was preparing to attack the other.

"You've never seen him in warmer climates." Anna smiled at the confused look on Elsa's face. "Maybe Olaf _is_ happy with me as his trainer, and he really does enjoy warmer climates a bit too much for an ice type, but he's physically miserable anywhere that doesn't have snow on the ground. I'm not sure if you've picked up on how excitable he can be but, trust me, when all that energy is directed at _you_ because he's not feeling well, you'd be eager to find him a nice place to settle down, too."

Olaf, as if to prove her point, began hopping around, squawking even louder as he relayed something to Marshmallow that was beyond either woman's comprehension.

"I'll take your word for it," Elsa replied after a moment, cracking a small smile as she observed the two. "So, if I understand you correctly: you risked your life in a blizzard trying to reach a new city you're entirely willing to settle down in, all for the sake of your Delibird?"

"Yep." Anna smiled. For her, it really was that simple.

What Elsa thought of that response was impossible for the redhead to guess. Rather than saying anything at all, she merely walked over and grabbed another blanket from a pile in the corner, throwing it over Anna as the room cooled. Though Anna was grateful for the extra layer, she found it odd that the cold wasn't affecting her as bad as she thought it should, given her recent bout of hypothermia. Or maybe she just didn't feel it as strongly because her body temperature wasn't back to normal quite yet.

"So, who's hungry?" Kristoff's voice startled Anna as he re-entered the room, carrying a tray laden with food. At that moment, the redhead's stomach growled loudly, a sharp pang of hunger reminding her just how precarious a situation she'd survived. "Well, that's one way to answer." Anna rolled her eyes but accepted the tray eagerly. Kristoff grabbed two bowls from the tray and passed one to Elsa, handing her a cup of something warm from the tray as well before settling into a seat with his own meal and drink. "Glaceon is at the bottom of the stairs, by the way; nearly tripped on him when I came up."

"I'm not surprised." The blonde gave him a slightly wider smile than the ones she'd given Anna. Probably out of familiarity, the redhead assumed- plus, she wasn't irrationally angry with him for going out in a blizzard. "He seems to prefer your home most days."

"Ever since I was a kid; even Lucius noticed," Kristoff replied, smiling slightly as he started shoveling whatever was in the bowl into his mouth. The same sort of soup that was on her tray, from what the redhead could tell, though she was more interested in the meatier portion of her meal.

Anna had already started devouring what was put in front of her- a mix of relatively standard fare and some local delicacies from what she could tell- though she was brought to an abrupt halt by the blonde's warning.

"Don't eat too fast." Elsa put her own bowl in her lap. "Despite your hunger, you will not be able to accept food as quickly as your body wants it. You need to eat slowly or you're likely to lose your meal before you can start digesting it."

"Yeah, your stomach hasn't had anything solid for over two days," Kristoff said around a mouthful of noodles and soup. "Give it time to adjust before overeating."

Anna nodded mutely, not trusting her voice. There were at least a million questions each begging to be asked but she refrained as best she could. But, self-restraint was never one of Anna's strong points. After taking a generous gulp of water, she prepared to ask a relatively safe question. Unfortunately, the sounds of a slight commotion echoed through the door from somewhere a bit further away and brought the attention of everyone in the room to the entryway.

Kristoff grimaced. "Well, Sven's home."

"Sven?" Anna raised a brow as the man wiped his mouth with the back of his hand while setting his bowl on the desk.

"El- _my_ Sawsbuck. When he's not helping Elsa's Pokémon look for trainers, he visits a community of Geodude and other rock types that live by a natural hot springs and geyser field. Given how bad the blizzard was, he went to check on them yesterday." The blond sighed heavily as more crashing could be heard. "_Every_ time he comes home after visiting them, he picks a fight with Glaceon for some reason."

"It's not 'some reason', Kristoff." Elsa defended. "Glaceon doesn't like smelling the sulfur from the dormant volcano on Sven's coat."

"Okay, but this is still _my_ house, so it's Sven's house by extension."

"Glaceon was here first."

He opened his mouth to say something but groaned instead as Glaceon raced into the room and over to the window sill, glaring at the doorway. A moment later, a Sawsbuck's head poked through the entrance- decorated in white fluff around his antlers and neck given the time of year- and the Pokémon snorted loudly in aggravation as it tried to muscle its way into the room. Olaf immediately waddled over, squawking loudly and indicating the bed, drawing Sven's attention to Anna.

"Uh, hello." The redhead offered him a tentative wave, slightly surprised when he leaned in and started sniffing at her. With a small laugh, she put a hand on his snout. "I'm okay, really. Just tired." She nodded towards Glaceon. "Think you two can get along for a little while? I promise I'll leave as soon as I'm better."

Glaceon's ears twitched before he jumped down from the sill, padding over to the bed and hopping up onto it. Though he exchanged a slight glare and growl with Sven, the two behaved as the Sawsbuck finished entering the room, following Olaf over toward the window where Marshmallow waited. Anna smiled, gently rubbing along Glaceon's spine as he settled down to soak up the attention. He felt much colder than anything she'd ever touched before but, Anna reasoned, she was probably still shaking the effects of her brush with a frozen death.

Kristoff's jaw was hanging open while Elsa merely raised her brow.

"I'll impressed," Elsa finally said, blinking as she shook her head. "From the moment they met, those two haven't been fond of each other."

"If you have _that_ kind of power over Pokémon, you can stay as long as you like!" Kristoff smiled, reclaiming his seat. "I can barely get any rest with those two always at each other's throat! It's ridiculous!"

"If it's that big a problem-" Elsa started but put her hands up in surrender quickly as Kristoff rounded on her.

"For the hundredth time: _no_." The blond crossed his arms over his chest and glared. "I appreciate your generosity but I'm not giving him back."

"Give him back?" Anna furrowed her brows.

"I originally caught Sven as a Deerling during my brief stop in Unova," she replied, settling back in her seat. "Here in Arendelle City, we don't have a resident Professor or other Pokémon authority to help trainers begin their journey, so the Gym Leader takes on that responsibility."

"That must be difficult." Anna frowned, looking over to her Delibird. Olaf was happily chatting away with Marshmallow and Sven, significantly more at ease with the two than she'd ever seen him before. Originally, the plan was to release Olaf back into the wild, allow him to live freely. She'd amended that plan, allowing her to stay in the area, but... would she really be able to let him go when the time came? After all these years, could she release him? "But it's worth it... right? Letting them go?"

"It is." Elsa stood, walking over and running a hand along Glaceon's back. "Come on. We should let our friend rest." Glaceon hopped down from the bed and left the room while Elsa went over to the window, moving to close it. "We'll be out shortly, Marshmallow."

The Abomasnow gave a deep grumble in reply before stepping away; now that Anna was more aware of her surroundings, she could feel each tromping step through the bed's frame.

"I'll keep an eye on Miss Andersen." Kristoff grinned. "And be careful out there tonight."

Just before Elsa left, she paused at the doorway and gave Anna a soft smile, the kindest expression she'd received so far. "Don't try to push yourself too hard. Recovering from hypothermia is serious work for your body."

Anna nodded dumbly, trying to reconcile the genuine, friendly advice with the quiet anger from before. As her footsteps faded, Anna turned her attention to Kristoff. "Uh, Mister Bjorgman? I can't tell if she hates me or not. Is that normal?"

Kristoff barked a laugh. "First, it's Kristoff or Kris; that 'Mr. B' stuff is for my dad. As for Elsa... she can be a little hard to read, I guess. When she first became the Gym Leader, I was one of the first people in town to really befriend her, so I guess I'm just so used to her that I don't notice anymore. Come to think of it, I'm really the only one in town who can call her a friend. She's always been a bit... closed off but don't let it fool you. She cares a lot more than she lets on because she's not very good at expressing her concern, as you saw, I'm sure." His expression softened slightly. "Please don't hold it against her; she really doesn't like how trainers throw themselves into danger for the sake of the Blizzard Badge. If it didn't mean an end to our city's way of life, I think she would've shut the Gym down the day she beat Lucius. I honestly don't think it's anything personal."

"I guess I can understand that." Anna sighed, finishing off the water and grimacing. She'd probably overeaten, given the discomfort she felt in her stomach, but it was much better than freezing to death. Overall, not a bad sort of discomfort, honestly. "So, you grew up here?"

"Born and raised."

"Is Arendelle City in need of anything? Like, work-wise: a carpenter, an electrician, handyman... juggler." The redhead shrugged. "Seriously, I'm open to anything."

"Well, we could always use help patching up after a harsh blizzard," Kristoff replied, running a hand along Sven's muzzle as the Sawsbuck wandered over to its trainer. With Marshmallow gone and the window closed, he and Olaf had returned to their respective trainers, the Delibird snuggling up to Anna's side after climbing onto the bed once more. "But we're _really_ in need of someone to help new trainers start their journey. I mean, sure, a lot of people who leave here end up coming back at some point, but there's not a whole lot of, ya know, advice to spread around. Don't get me wrong- Elsa's definitely been places, and our other trainers too- but she doesn't remember them too well and the others rarely left the Yensid region. Plus, no one really goes on a catching spree prior to coming back; Elsa won't say how many Pokémon she has left to give to new trainers, but I don't think it's very many." The blond sighed. "We've been breeding the ice types common to the mountains here but... I dunno, I just get the feeling like a little more variety wouldn't hurt, ya know? I mean, Deerling and Sawsbuck aren't common to this range and I can't imagine life without Sven! I wish everyone could find that sort of bond with their starter."

"I definitely know what you mean. Maybe I can help?" The redhead smiled. "I've spent the past ten years traveling the world, so I've picked up a lot of handy skills. Like, how to build an insulated greenhouse that's perfect for grass types from warmer climates and how to regulate an indoor lake for cohabiting water types. I've caught plenty of Pokémon that I haven't really been able to spend much time with lately." She frowned briefly. "Come to think of it, I don't even know how many I have. It'll be hard letting them go, but if they can find trainers who will spend more time with them, I can accept that. I think I'd prefer it, honestly."

Kristoff's eyes widened as he sat forward in his seat. "You'd do that? For Arendelle City?"

"It's really the least I could do, after all you and Miss Elsa have done for me." Anna ran a hand through Olaf's feathers. "There's really nothing I can do to really repay either of you."

"It's not necessary." He waved off her comment with a chuckle. "We're happy to help, really! You don't need to feel like you owe us."

"Good luck convincing me of that." The redhead smirked. "Besides, I think we might come back if everything goes well. Right, Olaf?" The Delibird looked up at her, blinking in curiosity. "Does this place seem like it could be home for us?"

Olaf pecked her side and she laughed, suddenly feeling the fatigue seeping into her body.

"Right, not the time, I get it." She mumbled, settling back into the bed and blinking slowly.

Kristoff smiled. "Get some sleep, Miss Andersen."

"Anna." She yawned. "Just Anna."

"If you say so." He stood to leave but was knocked back into his chair; somehow, Olaf managed to practically teleport from the bed to his gut, wrapping his wings around the man's frame as best he could. "Right. Guess you have a pretty good memory, huh, little guy?"

Kristoff looked up to notice his trainer already fast asleep. As soon as Olaf was finished thanking him, the Delibird scrambled back onto the bed, Kristoff and Sven leaving as quietly as possible to give their guests privacy.

Plus, there was still the mess downstairs to clean up.

* * *

Night had fallen on Arendelle City, a fierce wind rattling the window as another blizzard raged outside. Olaf was curled up beside her, sleeping peacefully, so she remained as still as she could and stared at the ceiling. She was still _very_ tired but her mind was buzzing with random thoughts, taking in recent events and assessing the situation.

Anna wasn't kidding when she told Kristoff she'd find a way to repay them; she'd made her fair share of poor and rash decisions over the years, but nothing on this scale. She'd almost _died_, put her own Pokémon in danger, all because she thought she knew better. There was no way she could be an expert in anything... but she _could_ help other trainers make their starts, give them a Pokémon who will protect them from the dangers of the world beyond.

She was busy sorting through her memory, weighing which of her companions currently residing at Professor Thatch's would make good starters for a new trainer, when she heard a door open and close downstairs. For a moment, she considered maybe Kristoff had gone out for something, until she caught sight of a massive silhouette appearing in the window. She tensed momentarily before recognizing Marshmallow as he peered into the room. At about the same time, the door quietly opened and a slim figure absolutely coated in slowly melting ice and snow stepped into the room, heaving a heavy sigh.

"This is creepy," Elsa said, so quietly the words were obviously meant for herself. She seemed torn between leaving the room entirely and checking the bed, her gaze boring a hole in the carpet between the two points.

Anna grinned, unable to let the opportunity pass. After the cold anger from before, she felt entitled to giving the Gym Leader at least a bit of a hard time. "Very."

She almost laughed out loud at Elsa's startled reaction, the blonde nearly tripping over her own feet and putting her hands up in surrender. Before she could even attempt to stammer out an apology, Anna waved her off, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

"I've been up for a while, don't worry." She finally managed, taking deep breaths to steady herself and checking to ensure Olaf hadn't woken up. Anna turned her attention back to Elsa as the other woman pulled down the scarf obscuring her face and took off her beanie, shaking off the snow and ice still clinging to it. "What time is it?"

"Around four in the morning," Elsa replied, taking the same seat she'd occupied earlier in the day. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired and restless." Anna rolled her eyes, though the gesture was probably lost in the darkness. "It's my own fault though, so I can't really complain. Did you just get back from the route?"

"Yes."

Silence reigned for a few minutes. She'd expected the Gym Leader to elaborate but figured maybe she would need to prompt the other woman further.

"Any other wayward souls lost in the snow?"

"No."

Okay. That didn't work.

"Do you live here, too?"

"No."

The redhead was unsure if she should try to keep the conversation going at this point. Something about the Gym Leader gave Anna the idea that she had something to say but was finding it difficult to voice, her head turned away to examine everything in the room except the bed's occupant.

"I'm glad you made it back okay."

"What?" The blonde snapped her gaze to Anna, surprise clear in her voice though her face was shadowed.

"I said I'm glad you made it back okay." The redhead repeated patiently, smiling.

Elsa seemed at a loss for a moment before shaking her head. "It's not as bad outside as it sounds and definitely not as bad as the night I found you."

"Thanks for that, again." Anna frowned, shifting her eyes to the ceiling and sighing. "And I'm sorry-"

"Stop. Please." The Gym Leader turned and walked towards the window, tension evident in the way her shoulders were hunched up by her ears. "Stop apologizing."

The wind howling filled the silence as Anna struggled to sit up, leaning back against the bed's headboard. Luckily, her movements didn't wake Olaf as he snuggled closer to her once she finished moving.

Finally, she had to ask. "Why?"

The two were silent a minute more.

Just as Anna was set to apologize again, Elsa spoke.

"Because you're not the one who should be."

Anna blinked in surprise, clearly confused by the words. She waited for the blonde to continue, listening intently and hoping to understand.

"I've been unfair to you. I snapped at your earlier today- er, yesterday, I suppose, whatever- and I shouldn't have done that." She sighed, shoulders dropping slightly though there was no hint at her nervousness abating. "My parents were trainers who specialized in double battles." Elsa turned back towards Anna, leaning back against the window, her body half in shadow and half in flickering moonlight filtering in from outside. While it did nothing to diminish the blonde's beauty, it added a shade of solemnity to her words, highlighting her sadness to an almost heartbreaking degree. "They worked well off each other, covered each other's weaknesses, and they were excellent trainers in their own right, too. When I was old enough to walk, the three of us began traveling to every region so they could take on the Gyms and the Elite Fours of the world. They wanted to be the best and they had the skills to do it. They trounced the Gym Leaders individually and collected all the available badges, defeated the Elite Fours, became Champions and then moved on, never allowing themselves to be challenged by the next trainer in the line. The same was true for Yensid; they collected every badge except one. They could've gone on and challenged the Elite Four."

Elsa paused and opened her jacket, pulling out something and staring at it in the palm of her hand.

"But they _wanted_ the Blizzard Badge." She closed her hand, presumably around the bit of metal in question. "There are other Gym Leaders who use double battles to gauge the worthiness of their challengers, all of whom they'd already defeated. The legendary elusiveness of _this_ Badge brought us to Arendelle. The chance to take over the Gym and become masters of double battles was just icing on the cake for them. It was too tempting to resist."

Elsa sighed, putting whatever it was away and crossing her arms over her stomach, closing her eyes.

"We were here almost two years but my parents couldn't defeat the Gym Leader, Lucius Best. He lived up to his name and trounced them time after time." Elsa shifted her stance, as if trying to warm herself up. "It was incredibly taxing for my parents to continuously fail in a battle style they absolutely loved, so they decided to spend some time back home in Hoenn to really bond with their Pokémon and refine their tactics. My father swore we would come back. I was twelve."

Anna wanted to stop her but felt the words lodge in her throat. The blonde was obviously in pain recalling the events. She had to do _something_.

Slowly, Anna began to ease her way out of the bed as Elsa continued.

"On the trip back to Glowerhaven, we were caught in a sudden, severe blizzard. My parents... didn't survive." Elsa dipped her head, pinning her chin against the thick material of her outer jacket, as if she was trying to curl in on herself. "I would've died as well if it wasn't for Marshmallow. He protected me from the storm and took me to the rescue team and they arranged for me to go back to Hoenn once I recovered, to live with my Uncle and Aunt."

"I'm sorry for your loss." The redhead blurted and bit her lip. She hadn't meant to bring up such a painful subject. She mumbled barely loud enough for the blonde to hear. "Now I understand why you were so angry with me, walking into that blizzard."

"My anger was misplaced." Anna could see the tension in the blonde's stance, hear the strain in her words.

"It's fine, really; you were totally justified." Anna tried to think of something to change the subject or distract her from the question that sat at the tip of her tongue, seeing as her attempts to soothe the blonde weren't working. "I made a stupid mistake, I-"

"Stop." Elsa cleared her throat and took a deep breath. In the dim light, Anna could barely make out a tear escaping and running down the blonde's cheek which was quickly wiped away.

It was only then that Anna realized the other woman wasn't done with her story but was trying to muster the strength to finish it. The redhead slowly approached Elsa as she spoke, a frown tugging at her lips.

"I came back to Arendelle a few years later. To finish what they started," Elsa replied, taking shuddering breathes separated by sniffles. "It was their lifelong dream. I couldn't keep going through my life leaving their journey unfinished. When I made the trip from Glowerhaven to Arendelle, I was foolish and reckless. So caught up in my own fear of the mountain itself, and so determined to overcome it and honor my parents' memories, I set out without paying heed to the weather. I made the same mistake my parents did, that you did, but I _knew_ better." She paused, hugging herself tighter. "That's what I mean when I say my anger was misplaced. It's not you I'm angry at, you didn't know... _but I did. _And I almost... if it wasn't for Marshmallow... again... I-"

Anna had heard enough. She couldn't watch the blonde suffer alone a moment longer and did the only thing she could think of that would be remotely comforting given the circumstances. Closing the remaining distance, she pulled Elsa into a tight hug. It took a few moments before she felt Elsa return the gesture, almost clinging to the redhead for support as several tears fell onto Anna's skin. A chill was setting in that caused her to break out in goosebumps but Anna held tight, hoping she help ease the blonde's pain.

"People... they were starting to give up," Elsa eventually said, sounding much more composed than before. "After twenty years without losing, trainers were giving up on the Blizzard Badge. When I got here, they told me I was the first challenger in months and I came _before_ the winter started. But the moment I won and became the new Gym Leader, news spread like wild fire through Yensid. They said we got more visitors in my first month as Gym Leader than they'd had the whole year prior." The blonde drew back, looking Anna in the eyes. She could still see the anger and pain swirling in those blue orbs. "I'm the one who should be apologizing to you and every trainer who comes to Arendelle City. I never wanted any of this. I never wanted to start the cycle over again, for people to risk their lives because of me-"

"Wait, _what?_" Anna blinked rapidly, taking a moment to let everything fall into place before shaking her head. "Miss Elsa, you can't take responsibility for the things other people do! Especially not things like this!"

"You weren't here to watch how Glowerhaven changed, how they _celebrated_ there being a new Gym Leader in Arendelle City. How they packaged it and sold it- but you saw what Glowerhaven's become and that's why you walked into a blizzard, you said so yourself!" Elsa bit back. "If I hadn't won-"

"Okay, fine, if you hadn't won, maybe there wouldn't be as much hype around the badge as there currently is. Maybe there wouldn't be entire inns full of hopeful trainers itching to try their luck, I'll give you that." Anna fixed the blonde with her best glare. "But you will _not_ try to take responsibility for _my_ mistake. I already told you that me coming here had very little to do with the Blizzard Badge. I would've been in that blizzard no matter what..." her face softened "... but would you have been there to save me if you weren't the Gym Leader? If you never came back to Arendelle City and made that mistake, would anyone have found me in time? Would anyone even know to look?"

Elsa remained silent. Anna expected for the blonde to argue back until she felt the tension in her rigid stance slowly loosen up, as if the weight of the guilt she'd heaped onto herself was sliding away ounce by ounce. She wasn't sure if it would ever be gone, not completely, but she could make things better, and that was always worth it to the redhead.

"Sometimes, we make bad decisions. That's part of life, but you go out every night ready to rescue trainers caught in those blizzards! I think that speaks louder than a few mistakes here and there," Anna said, chuckling softly. "With the way Kristoff talks, you're the best thing to happen to Arendelle City! So stop beating yourself up about what _could_ have happened. It won't do anything except make you miserable."

"The past is in the past," she said, almost as if reciting a mantra and sighing gently. "I suppose I should let it go but... it's not that easy. I've tried." Elsa lowered her gaze, as if in shame. However, the moment she did so, her eyes went wide. "Oh wow." The next moment, her hands flew to her face to cover them.

Confused, Anna glanced down to see what the problem was and quickly remembered a conversation she'd had with Kristoff earlier, during one of her bouts of consciousness. After being buried in the snow, her clothing was soaked all the way through and would hinder raising her body temperature, so they had to strip her. He made a point that neither of them _looked_ or anything, nearly incomprehensible through his apologies. Seeing as she'd tossed out all her other clothes before giving her pack to Glaceon, she'd been dressed in a robe to wear for the time being. However, being a woman who traveled often and very far, often with few amenities between stops, she hadn't the foresight to continue wearing it once she was warm and coordinated enough to take it off.

Again, she wasn't a fan of psychic types.

With few other options, Anna resorted to laughing as she released the Gym Leader- who was blushing and trying to stammer out more apologies, it seemed, but the syllables were too broken to be sure- and retrieved the robe, slipping it on and tying the belt around her waist.

"There, all decent. Sorry about that." The redhead sat on the edge of the bed, giving Elsa space to recover while continuing to play off the situation. "Given how many times I've been caught skinny dipping in rivers by the Officers Jenny crew, I guess I shouldn't be surprised I would completely forget how civilized people act."

"No, it was my fault, I really shouldn't have disturbed you." The Gym Leader coughed into her hand as she regained her composure, Anna could've sworn she was stealing furtive glances the redhead's way and fighting to stop, which was incredibly flattering. But that was probably the exhaustion talking. "You need your rest."

She thought about arguing but decided against it, her body clearly not as ready to resume activity as her mind. Slipping back under the covers, Anna resolved to try going back to sleep as Elsa jammed on her beanie and pulled up her scarf, fumbling with the fabric slightly.

"Miss Elsa." Anna called just as the blonde was set to walk out of the room. "For what it's worth, I'm sure your parents would be very proud of you."

Elsa stopped and turned briefly, looking at her with those icy eyes, something unreadable flashing in them. Anna almost missed her soft reply. "I like to think so."

The wind continued howling long after Anna heard the dull closing of the front door, waving to Marshmallow as the Abomasnow lumbered away. The redhead laid there and stared at the ceiling for who knows how long, trying to reconcile her two encounters with Arendelle City's Gym Leader. While she had met plenty of interesting people during her travels, she hadn't really kept in touch with most of them. She called her family regularly enough but she'd never traveled with another human, allowing her beloved Pokémon to be her only companions. Maybe she missed out on something all those years. She wanted to know more about the blonde, to be able to decipher the look in her eyes, to better comfort her. With all the added responsibility the Blizzard Badge apparently implied, it was a wonder Elsa had borne it so well. She couldn't have been much older than Anna.

Anna blinked when she felt Olaf stir, the Delibird looking at her quizzically. Something about the way he glanced at the window told her that she hadn't been as stealthy as she thought when exiting the bed originally. At least he hadn't made a fuss; that might've made the whole situation even more awkward.

"Hey, buddy." The redhead pulled him closer, jerking her chin in the direction of the window. "What do you think? Is it okay with you if I make Elsa my friend? Does she get the Olaf seal of approval?"

Olaf blinked at her a moment before curling up beside her, chirping quietly.

Anna snorted and shook her head, closing her eyes and settling back to try sleeping again. He was being a pain because he could, and probably as payback for the whole blizzard thing, too. Ah, well; he'd let her know at some point.

* * *

Author's Note: And thus it begins. Shenanigans. Also, Lucius Best is Frozone from _The Incredibles_.


	4. Warm as Fire

Disclaimer: Nope. Still nothing profitable owned by yours truly.

* * *

The next time Anna woke up, her restlessness overpowered Kristoff's warnings, and she found herself stumbling through the door to the man's house and out into Arendelle City for the first time in her usual garb. Covered in snow, the City looked far more subdued than most of the places she'd traveled through. Smoke gently wafted from several chimneys, the distant sounds of snowmobiles punctuated by the natural sounds of ice type Pokémon that were walking beside people as they went from place to place. Anna could name them off the top of her head- Mamoswine, Avalugg, Beartic, and their unevolved forms, among others- only due to her familiarity with icy mountains in general.

Olaf pressed against her leg slightly, taking in the sprawling city with wide eyes. Though he was generally distrustful of human settlements as a rule, Anna noticed how he was definitely more at ease than usual, possibly thanks to how spread out Arendelle City was. Unlike most places they'd been to, the city seemed to spread itself leisurely across the available flat land rather than pack itself tightly. Out of all the snowy settlements they'd visited, she guessed this one had fewer people in it than usual, despite the size.

"Well, what'd'ya think, buddy?" Anna crouched down, putting one gloved hand on the ground to keep herself steady. Her head still felt a little light when she moved around, probably since she was still trying to recover her strength. "You like this place?"

Olaf nuzzled into her side, not exactly answering her question but not protesting either. She took it as a good sign and got up, turning back to look at Kristoff's house so she could find her way back to it after exploring a little. To her surprise, she spotted the window to the room she'd stayed in and felt her jaw drop open a little. That had to be at least ten feet up and there didn't appear to be anything under the window for the Abomasnow to stand on yesterday.

Just how tall _was_ Marshmallow?

"Anna!" Kristoff's voice caused Anna to swing her head around, catching sight of the man riding Sven towards her from further up the street. Sven was pulling a sled with a few blocks on ice on it. "Hey, good to see you walking around. How're you feeling?"

"A little lightheaded but the fresh mountain air is helping." The redhead shrugged. "So, this is Arendelle City?"

"Yeah." The blond made a sweeping gesture towards the surrounding houses and the forest and mountains beyond. "Pretty great view, huh?"

"Not bad at all," Anna replied, scanning the view again. In the distance, she could see the orange roof of the Pokémon Center and the blue roof of the PokéMart, both set on a slight ridge on the north side of the city. "Where's the Gym?"

Kristoff frowned, pulling back the sleeve of his jacket to check his watch. "I don't think she's awake yet. Elsa stays out pretty late checking the trail, so she tends to sleep in late, too."

The redhead wisely chose not to mention how she was already well aware of that.

"Oh, I'm not going to challenge her, not today anyway." The redhead smiled. "It's just something I've noticed over the years; you can tell a lot about a place by checking out the Gym's location." He gave her a quizzical look, so she decided to explain. "Some places are built around other businesses, so the Gyms are located towards the outskirts of the town. Other places have the Gym at the city's heart, because the Gym is the driving force behind the city's economy. Glowerhaven, for instance, has its Gym on the side of town closest to the route leading to Arendelle City. All the hotels, restaurants, and services for trainers make up the heart of the city, so new trainers are pretty much assaulted with an overload of information regarding Arendelle City and the legendary Blizzard Badge before they get to the Glowerhaven Gym, no matter which way they come from. Every trainer I talked to at least considered making the trip up to take on the Blizzard Badge because of all the hype, which keeps them in town spending money longer than if no one mentioned it or if the Gym was on the other side of town."

"Huh, okay. Guess you have a point." He gave her a sheepish grin and nodded towards a side street. "Follow that fence line all the way around and you'll see the Gym."

Though it took her a moment longer than someone who wasn't directionally challenged, Anna eventually smiled. "It's the first thing you see when you come off the route to Glowerhaven, isn't it?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "It's what everyone comes here for, so..."

"But the Pokémon Center is to the far north, meaning trainers who fail have to go through the town in order to heal their Pokémon." Anna nodded. "In order to leave, they'll pass through the middle of the city again, so... what, is that where all the hotels and restaurants are located?"

"Actually, all the businesses are on the west side." Kristoff pointed off to where the greatest concentration of smoking chimneys were. "They all press up against the forest, which blocks a lot of the wind and snow. We've found that during especially bad blizzards, buildings on that side of town come out with the least repairs, so we put the important stuff over there." He got off Sven's back, patting the Pokémon's shoulder in the process. "Even if, well, _my_ house ended up needing major repairs and I needed to stay somewhere else, I could head over to the inn and still get a hot meal." He paused a moment. "Then again, my dad's the one who runs the inn, so he might just do that for me anyway."

Anna chuckled to herself as the blond seemed to genuinely puzzle over the situation before moving on.

"At the same time, the Pokémon who call this mountain home tend to make their nests a bit further north, just on the other side of that ridge line." He pointed out the formation in question. "We've had some... issues with less than savory characters trying to mass capture the young Pokémon during the spring time, so in order to get up there, they have to get past the Gym _and_ all the residents of Arendelle City."

The redhead smiled, nudging Olaf gently with her leg. This place was looking better by the minute. "Everyone lets their Pokémon roam free during the day, I take it?"

"For the most part." Kristoff shrugged. "We've noticed that letting them wander around town keeps the more territorial wild species at bay, but sometimes they cause trouble for their trainers. Like with Sven and Glaceon, though they at least contain their mess to my house."

Blinking a few times, Anna cocked her head to the side. "Yeah, about that, I'm kinda confused. If Sven originally belonged to Elsa, how was Glaceon here first? Or was that the hypothermia messing with my head?"

At the mention of Glaceon, Sven huffed, bending his head low to poke at Olaf, apparently losing interest in the trainers' conversation.

Kristoff laughed. "No, that part's just confusing for an outsider. See, Glaceon originally belonged to Lucius- the previous Gym Leader- along with the Glalie Elsa uses. He gave them to her so she could continue representing Arendelle City as an ice type Gym before he left."

"Oh, okay. Then she gave you Sven. Is it normal for Pokémon to trade between trainers like that around here?"

The man shrugged. "There's really not that many _to_ be traded. It seems like each family has one or two of the hardier ice types but no one has an abundance of Pokémon just hanging around. I think the Center has six Chanseys on staff but that's the most owned by a specific person or place in Arendelle City. Uh, aside from Elsa's Pokémon, of course."

"Right." Anna nodded, blinking as she recalled a question she'd meant to ask previously. "Does Arendelle City not have a hospital? I mean, not that I don't appreciate your hospitality or anything, but I kinda expected to wake up to white walls and a beeping heart monitor."

She left out the part where she wasn't really expecting to wake up at all.

"We have a doctor, but no hospital." He shrugged. "I know it looks like we have the space for it but we don't bother building things we won't use often, most of us prefer staying home when we're sick or hurt anyway, and my mom fully believes people heal quicker when they're comfortable. Elsa doesn't really have a guest bedroom made up, so she brought you to my place." He frowned slightly. "I also think that's in part because she's somewhat terrified of my mom. I don't blame her; a lot of people are."

"The whole doctor thing can be really off putting." Anna awkwardly laughed, biting her lip. She was definitely one of those who tried their hardest to stay far away from medical professionals, unless they were affiliated with a Pokémon Center. Those types, she could handle.

"Wait until you've met her; my mom's an... interesting character, shall we say." Kristoff chuckled, blinking in surprise when Sven chuffed and pawed at the snow. "Oh, right! Sorry, Anna, but I have to go. I have some deliveries to make still before I take my turn down at the mine. People around here are really friendly but don't go past any of the orange markers; they're the limits for Arendelle City and wild Pokémon tend to brush really close to them as they move through the mountains."

"Got it." Anna turned towards the fence line Kristoff indicated. The cold was starting to settle into her skin and she would rather move around than continue allowing her body temperature to drop. She could probably continue pestering Kristoff with questions about the area later, in the warm house as opposed to outside it. At his nod, she started off. "I'll be back in a little while."

"Just be careful. I'm serious about staying within the limits." He jerked his head in the vague direction of the forest. "The Abomasnow are still moving through the route, and they aren't the worst when it comes to wild encounters. Marshmallow tends to scare them off but they might attack if they feel threatened."

"I'll be careful." She assured, Olaf falling in step beside her after bidding Sven goodbye.

Finding the Gym was ridiculously easy once she passed the homes that had previously obstructed her view. The building itself was huge, with the stylized emblem and roof made out of ice- or something that looked a lot like ice. It easily dwarfed every other building in the city and most of the ones Anna had seen, except maybe the Celadon City Department Store. It was certainly bigger than any Gym she'd challenged over the years, which made sense given the battle style the Gym used.

While walking, Anna could catch glimpses of every day life in Arendelle City. People and Pokémon coming and going from the marked path through the forest, hauling felled trees or carts filled with ore or precious stones.

On her way, she saw a young man trying to patch his roof and offered to help; she taught him a bit about shingling while he gave her some useful tips about the dangers of allowing snow to accumulate on a roof. She also helped a mother reconnect the starter on her snowmobile while Olaf entertained her sons, both of whom were extremely energetic. She advised Anna to be careful; there was a group of Froslass that would play tricks on people occasionally, but they were mostly harmless pranks. Anna merely rolled her eyes and made a joke about ghost types.

She was immediately pelted by a snowball that appeared out of nowhere and apologized to the air as the boys laughed, teasing her about ignoring their mother's warning. Overall, she was just too pleased about being out and doing things to really take the teasing to heart, laughing off her embarrassment.

As she continued towards the Gym, Anna listened to Olaf's encouraging chirps. Overall, the people seemed nice, accepting Anna's help and offering advice in exchange. What Pokémon they encountered were laid back, neither causing Olaf nor Anna any grief, so long as they didn't disrupt their work. People and Pokémon alike seemed interested in Olaf's unique coloring but not enough to make a fuss. It was just a nice, small town that happened to be in the mountains.

"Well?" Anna bent down to look at Olaf. "Leaning one way or another?" He looked around, as if slowly taking in his surroundings, but looked back to the redhead with worried eyes. "I promise, I'll stay here, too. Maybe I can live with Kristoff for a bit before setting up on my own. Or, maybe there'll be a vacancy when we come back and I can move straight in to a nice little house." She straightened up and took a deep breath. "Air's a bit thin, but I'll acclimate. Then, I can start doing little stuff, maybe take a job at the Pokémon Center to supplement my income. I'm sure Arendelle's Nurse Joy wouldn't mind a little help every now and again. Or I could just, I dunno, make supply runs down to Glowerhaven? Think they have someone who does that already?" Her gaze fell on him, hands on her hips as she grinned. "You know what; it doesn't even matter. I'll figure it out. Always have, right?"

Olaf squawked, hobbling over to a snow back and jumping in, wiggling around a little before popping his head out.

Anna laughed. "Well, then I guess it's settled!" She glanced over her shoulder at the imposing Gym in the distance. "We'll win the Blizzard Badge, beat the Elite Four, and come back to settle down." She turned towards the west side of town. Surely the inn would have a phone of some sort. "Let's go tell Mom and Dad the new plan!"

Olaf chirped happily, hurrying after the redhead.

* * *

While the day before was spent exploring the City a little and calling home, Anna was finally feeling well enough the next afternoon to do something long overdue: reconnect with her Pokémon. Olaf preceded her through the door, waddling over to Marshmallow, who was standing by the window still. He'd come by to check on her without his trainer, waiting outside until Olaf noticed him and woke the redhead up. She hadn't intended to sleep in so late but, she reasoned, her sleep schedule was thrown way off by the blizzard, so she should just soak in the rest while she could get it and get back on track before leaving for the Elite Four.

While she was glad Olaf had taken to the towering Abomasnow- seriously, she'd never seen one _that_ large in her life! She'd heard of unusually large specimens of certain species but had never seen one in person before- she was even more relieved Olaf had something to distract him.

Pulling them from her bag, Anna cradled her five remaining pokéballs in her arms, each enlarged so she could release her precious Pokémon quickly. Kristoff was especially kind and considerate and had offered to attend to her team, but she wanted to reconnect with her team personally rather than have them tended to by others. She was surprised by how much he knew about Pokémon in general rather than just ice types, and a few hours' worth of conversation had made them fast friends, much like Olaf and Sven, but it wasn't the same to let him do it. She needed to remind herself how close she came to letting them down in order to drive the lesson home.

"Alright, guys, time to come out!" She called out, heaving the pokéballs into the air one after another and smiling wide as each opened, releasing the Pokémon within. In the blink of an eye, her entire team stood before her, each happy to see their trainer. They rushed up, nuzzling against her and begging for attention. Being larger than the others, Arcanine and Pyroar gently nudged her shoulders, careful their paws didn't land on Vulpix, Eevee, or Tyrunt, the former two pressing against her calves while the latter poked at her with his pointed snout. "Calm down, guys, one at a time, okay!"

She was laughing, of course, running her hands through their fur- or, scratching just behind the jaw in Tyrunt's case- and trying to spread her attention across all five of her faithful friends. Olaf, who was watching from next to Marshmallow, thankfully didn't seem to mind; he would occasionally start squawking if he felt she was paying too much attention to the others, though she always scolded him about fairness, seeing as he was the only one who typically accompanied her during their travels. For his part, the Abomasnow seemed curious about the others, eventually lumbering over once the group had calmed a little.

Which, of course, prompted Anna to remember that Olaf wasn't the only one who had a tendency to be over protective of her.

Arcanine and Pyroar immediately stepped in front of Anna, snarling at Marshmallow in warning as their teeth flashed. Vulpix and Eevee joined them, taking up post between the larger creatures' paws and wearing similar snarls, while Tyrunt charged forward, intent on taking on the towering Abomasnow himself. Olaf was quickly squawking out some sort of warning but Marshmallow was responding to the threatening display, a cold wind picking up as he prepared to defend himself.

All it took was a firm command from Anna to cease the madness altogether.

"That's enough, all of you!" She waited until all seven pairs of eyes were watching her. She fixed her gaze on her instigators, noting how they were all cowering slightly in shame. She softened her gaze, allowing her posture to relax. They were only trying to protect her, so they weren't really in trouble; there just wasn't anything to protect her from, in this case. "Don't be so rude to Marshmallow, guys. He saved our lives. You should be _thanking_ him!"

Sufficiently chastised, her beloved Pokémon turned back to Marshmallow and dipped their heads in acknowledgement, prompting a growled response from the towering ice type. A moment later, the entire group seemed to be chatting eagerly in whatever way Pokémon could understand each other, though the 'conversation' seemed to be between Olaf, Arcanine, Pyroar, Vulpix, and Marshmallow. Tyrunt seemed more interested in studying Marshmallow while Eevee returned to Anna, clawing her way up the redhead's clothes to settle snugly onto one shoulder.

After a few minutes, Vulpix grew disinterested with Marshmallow and made her way onto Anna's other shoulder while Pyroar and Arcanine began a game of tag between each other, as they often did when allowed to simply play, using their paws to swipe snow at each other. What felt like forever ago, she initially worried about how the two would react towards one another once they evolved; as a Litleo and a Growlithe, they absolutely loathed the other and would fight almost constantly. Had they maintained such a dislike for each other after growing several feet and hundreds of pounds in size, Anna wasn't sure she would've been able to keep them from seriously injuring themselves or each other outside of a battle. Luckily, their evolutions matured each of them and they reconciled to save their trainer the grief.

It may have involved a few good pecks from Olaf, too, but it got the job done.

Tyrunt, on the other hand, was still fascinated by Marshmallow's towering height and, after a bit of prodding from the tiny dragon type, the giant bent down and allowed Tyrunt to clumsily claw his way into Marshmallow's hand. Carefully, he was lifted up, until he could jump onto the top of the Marshmallow's head, letting out a roar of victory as he towered over the others.

It only took three seconds until Tyrunt realized he might have a slight problem with heights, tucking himself low and using his short arms to grab hold of Marshmallow's fur, whining in distress as his tail twitched uncontrollably.

Anna laughed, being sure to keep herself as stable as possible so she didn't jostle Vulpix or Eevee. "Aw, are you okay up there, little guy?" At Tyrunt's terrified cry, the redhead nodded and whistled for Arcanine to come over. "Calm down, buddy, I'm coming!"

Kneeling down, Anna extended her arms so her two passengers could safely disembark before climbing onto Arcanine's back.

"What is _that_?" The redhead turned, noting the slight furrow to Elsa's brows as she craned her neck to stare at Marshmallow's head.

"He's a Tyrunt. They died off a hundred million years ago, supposedly." Scratching behind Arcanine's ears, Anna maneuvered him towards Marshmallow with her knees, turning a friendly smile on the ice giant. "Mind if we come up?"

Marshmallow nodded and grumbled something, carefully seating itself to make things easier for everyone. With his hands behind him to brace the weight, Marshmallow allowed Arcanine to put his front paws on the giant's chest and curled forward slightly. From her perch atop Arcanine's back, Anna carefully inched up until she was resting on his head, extending her arms towards her trapped dragon.

With only a moment's hesitation, Tyrunt jumped forward, crashing bodily into Anna's chest and nearly knocking the wind from her. She would've lost her seat completely if it hadn't been for the grip she had on Arcanine using her thighs, and she quietly thanked the Laramie clan for teaching her how to ride. The redhead soothed the poor creature while Arcanine slowly backed up on his hind legs and lowered his front paws to the ground, going so far as to drop his shoulder so Anna could dismount easily.

As she slid off his back, Elsa approached, watching the grateful Tyrunt in Anna's arms with curiosity.

"For being extinct, he seems very... lively."

"Some scientists were able to revive him from a fossil I found while traveling through Kalos." Anna hefted Tyrunt up, holding him out for a proper introduction. "Tyrunt, this is Miss Elsa. Say hello!"

Tyrunt blinked, then opened his jaw wide and gave a roar that startled the blonde back a step.

Anna rolled her eyes, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. "Not like that, you goober!" Shaking her head, she set the dragon type down and pushed him towards Eevee and Vulpix. "Go play while I apologize for your rude behavior."

Tyrunt toddled off, chasing after Eevee and Vulpix as the two played in the snow, turning the game into a three way version of tag.

"I'm really sorry about that." The redhead laughed awkwardly, scratching at her cheek. "He's a bit... temperamental."

"It's fine. Glaceon was the same way when we first met, believe it or not." Elsa shrugged. "Why did you have to rescue him from Marshmallow's head?" She crossed her arms over her chest, surveying Anna's playing Pokémon with mild amusement. "Do I even want to know?"

While this particular group had encountered snow a multitude of times, very rarely were they allotted time to just play in it. Anna tried to keep her fire types out of the harsher cold weather, unless she was in dire need of their warmth. Given the opportunity, the whole crew was having fun throwing snow into the air for Arcanine, Pyroar, and Vulpix to melt and turn into steam.

"Oh, he wanted to be taller than Arcanine and Pyroar." The redhead huffed, setting her fists on her hips. "Ever since those two evolved, Tyrunt's had trouble accepting that he's the smallest of the males for this group. Too bad he didn't realize he's scared of heights until _after_ he got up there." Anna walked over to the Abomasnow, stroking his arm with a warm smile. "Thanks for being a good sport about it, Marshmallow."

He grumbled in reply, turning his attention to the smaller Pokémon as Vulpix and Eevee jumped onto Marshmallow's thighs and taunted Tyrunt, who couldn't quite jump as high as the quadrupeds and instead ran around the Abomasnow, searching for a way up.

Anna shook her head, turning back to the Gym Leader who was watching her with a small smirk. "What?"

"I'm not surprised by your choices in companions." The blonde nodded towards Anna's Pokémon. "You tend towards cute, cuddly fire types, yes?"

"Hey! _All_ Pokémon are cute and cuddly!" Anna began to scowl but stopped as she felt something nudge her shoulder. Beside her, a Glalie was hovering quietly. She instantly threw her arms around the Pokémon. "Yes, even you, Glalie!"

The redhead jumped back a few seconds later, shivering and rubbing her arms to ward off the sudden chill that invaded her body.

Elsa laughed, putting her hand on top of Glalie and rubbing between his horns. "I should've warned you; my Glalie has the ice body ability. Touching him is... ill advised, if you're unaccustomed to the cold."

"Gee, thanks for the warning." Anna grumbled, not surprised when Arcanine came over and shoved his face into her chest to help warm her up. "Anyway, I _do_ have other types of Pokémon. I guess I just have a special attachment to these guys." Anna turned a fond smile on the Pokémon, looking to each as she spoke their names. "Eevee was given to me as my 'starter' before I left home since Olaf wasn't quite well enough to battle. Vulpix I encountered in Johto, trying to escape from Team Rocket. Pyroar and Arcanine- in their unevolved forms, of course- just wouldn't stop following me around after we put an end to the Pokémon Circus that was mistreating them. Tyrunt, well, he was a fossil and he doesn't behave himself back home. He keeps trying to eat the Professor's shoes." She laughed, shrugging as she returned her attention to the blonde. "I've really bonded with all of them, though, and they really like each other. Some just happen to be similar in type and body style, I guess."

Elsa nodded, giving Glalie a brief hug before allowing him to hover over to the other playing Pokémon. While Pyroar sniffed at the new arrival with curiosity, Tyrunt tried his hardest to jump and sink his teeth into the floating ball.

He wasn't having much luck in that department.

"I suppose I know what you mean. My closest companions seem to have similarities I never intended as well." From seemingly nowhere, Glaceon's head appeared over Elsa's shoulder, followed by his front paws. Absently, the blonde reached up and began scratching behind his ears, earning a contented purr from him. The motion brought the hem of her jacket up just enough for Anna to catch sight of the pokéballs on her belt. She might not have noticed their number if one wasn't an all white premier ball; those tended to stick out quite a bit.

"So, who're in the fourth and fifth pokéballs?" The redhead motioned to Elsa's belt at her surprised expression. "I mean, you let Glaceon, Glalie, and Marshmallow roam free. Why not the other two?"

"Oh. No, Marshmallow isn't mine; he's a wild Abomasnow." The Gym Leader walked over and put a hand on the Pokémon in question, smiling softly at him. "He's grown attached to me, true, but I don't have the heart to capture him."

Anna could hear the faintest tint of sadness to the other woman's voice and tilted her head to the side, obviously curious but opting not to press Elsa. She vividly recalled their conversation from the other night and supposed that if the blonde was willing to continue, she would.

For her part, Elsa seemed a little uncomfortable with the subject, keeping her attention fixed on Marshmallow as he grumbled soothingly, but soldiered on regardless. "I told you that both times I was caught in the blizzards outside, Marshmallow was the one who saved me. As a child, he took me to rescue squad's checkpoint, and as an adult, he brought me to Arendelle City, but these mountains have always been his home. He's-"

Anna felt a sad smile touch her lips, reaching out to place a hand on Elsa's shoulder in reassurance. She hadn't anticipated for the blonde to abruptly cut herself off but, after a brief glance, the gesture was accepted, tension ebbing away slowly.

"He's been nearby ever since I returned." She smiled up at the giant briefly, something that could be called a laugh if it was louder escaping her lips. "Something like a guardian angel, I guess. I don't think he trusts me to go out on my own anymore. Confining him to a pokéball, even briefly... I just can't bring myself to do it. How can I even consider calling myself his trainer when he teaches me so much more?"

The redhead smiled, looking up at Marshmallow to note the Pokémon's fond gaze as it regarded Elsa. Even without capturing him, it seemed the two shared a bond just as strong as the one Anna shared with Olaf. She'd encountered such before on her travels but it never seemed to amaze her how some things transcended regional boundaries and cultures.

"You're a really good Gym Leader, Miss Elsa," Anna said, surprising herself when the words left her mouth. When Elsa glanced at her, she just smiled.

"You sound confident about that." The blonde frowned slightly. "But some days, I'm not so sure." She sighed. "If this was anywhere else, I'd be willing to believe it but the Blizzard Badge has occupied a special place in the Yensid region since the Gym was founded. It's supposed to be a unique challenge to trainers, something that tests their abilities and their bond with their Pokémon." Her brows furrowed. "But so few trainers seem to understand that. They think it's just about the prestige, the bragging rights, the easy ticket to the Elite Four, and their recklessness is obvious. Even those who wait for the groups never truly consider the challenge they're taking on, just the rewards. Before they've even arrived, they've already lost. It's disheartening, to defeat so many without ever really feeling challenged. Sometimes, I wonder if _this_ is really what my parents would've wanted or if I'm wasting my time..." Elsa suddenly shook her head, looking back to the mountains.

Anna was about to reassure the Gym Leader but Elsa continued, apparently frustrated with herself.

"I didn't come to say all that, though." When Elsa turned towards her, Anna's smile faltered slightly, surprised at the emotions she saw swirling in those blue eyes. "I... I actually came today to apologize. Again. For the other night."

Anna quirked a brow. "Apologize? For what? Because, the whole, uh, hug thing was totally my fault-"

"N-no, I didn't mean that. Specifically. It's my fault anyway, really," the blonde replied, clearing her throat as a slight blush appeared in her cheeks. In some far off part of her mind, Anna compared the sight to watching the mountains around them catch the morning light, pink lightly painting white snow. She really needed to drop this fixation on how pretty the Gym Leader was; beating her was already going to be difficult, she didn't need the added distraction. "I mean, I would like to apologize for... burdening you with the details of my life. I shouldn't have done that."

"Burden?" Anna laughed lightly. "Miss Elsa, you didn't 'burden' me with anything."

Elsa wasn't amused, the cold anger from their first encounter returning to her eyes. "If I hadn't explained my past, you wouldn't have felt pity for me-"

The redhead furrowed her brows in confusion, allowing that to smother the slight irritation building in her. The last thing this conversation needed was to turn into an argument. "I don't feel pity for you." Okay, that came out harsher than she'd meant, but it seemed to shock the Gym Leader into silence, so she rolled with it. "I don't, because 'pity' implies that I somehow removed myself from the equation, that your pain doesn't affect me."

"It shouldn't," the blonde replied, silence falling to the cold anger Anna had seen before. "Regardless of the circumstances, it's my burden to bear-"

"You're wrong." Somewhere in the back of her mind, Anna registered that the Pokémon around them had ceased their playful antics and were focused on their trainers, watching their body language closely. Glaceon was stock still on Elsa's shoulder, tense and waiting for some indication on how to react to what could very well be building up to an argument between the two women. "No one has to go through life alone-"

"I _did_." Elsa bit back, shocked by her own admission and dropping her gaze to the ground. "Aside from my Pokémon... I did go through life alone. I left Hoenn as soon as I was able to come here. I don't have friends; my family is gone. And I'm _fine_-"

"Fine is a type of point, not a state of being." Anna shook her head. "You deserve to be _happy_, Miss Elsa. And you do have friends! You have me and Kristoff-"

"_You're_ my friend?" The blonde rolled her eyes and made to turn away but Anna quickly grabbed her hands, holding them in her own. For whatever reason, Elsa didn't pull away immediately, instead averting her gaze and speaking softly. "You barely know me."

"But I can learn." Anna squeezed the Gym Leader's hands. "I'm pretty good at judging people and I think you're a good person- a strong, smart, beautiful woman who's doing her best. I'm not going to just stand here and let you blame yourself for things that are way out of your control or for talking about how you feel!" Anna sighed, trying to get a handle on her frustration; her voice was steadily rising with every word and she wasn't trying to yell at the Gym Leader, just emphasize her point. "Look, bottling all this up can't be good for you, and you've been doing it for years. I'm _glad_ you were able to tell me because you _need_ someone to talk to, to complain to, to just listen to the big stuff and the trivial stuff, too, and I'm totally up for being that person because, as much as I can ramble about silly things, I'm actually a pretty good listener. And you haven't even _heard_ me ramble yet, so just you wait, because you want to talk about 'burdens' I'm pretty sure I can bury you under an avalanche of syllables, and yes, that was supposed to be a stupid snow pun and you can blame Kristoff." She crossed her arms over her chest, resisting the urge to smile as she noticed the flicker of amusement in Elsa's eyes. "Since I'm guessing I need to explicitly state this, I will. I'm not saying any of this because I feel sorry for you. I didn't listen to you that night because I felt _sorry_ for you. I want to be your friend and listen to your problems because I like you and I care. Also, I'm stubborn as a Tauros, so good luck getting rid of me." She nodded. "There. We're friends now. Deal with it."

Silence stretched between the two before Elsa broke it, her face betraying no emotion. "You think I'm beautiful?"

Anna blinked, then slapped a hand to her face, smiling in spite of herself. "Because _that_ was the important part out of everything I just said. Good to know you were listening." She chuckled, dropping her sarcastic tone to shrug helplessly. "Yes, you are. Plus all those other things."

The Gym Leader cracked a small smile. "I suppose I should say the same of you." She reached up to idly scratch behind Glaceon's ear, a light blush coming to her cheeks. "We're friends now... is that it?"

"Well, I'm never one to ignore possibilities," Anna replied before realizing that probably wasn't what the blonde meant. She was quick to continue, though she did notice how Elsa's smile grew a little wider. "But I guess I have to consult my official decision-maker first." She turned towards Olaf, who had gravitated closer during their exchange. "Well, buddy, what do you say? Is it okay with you if Miss Elsa and I are friends?"

Olaf scanned the blonde, peering up at her a moment before waddling over to give Elsa's leg a hug. Although initially surprised- she probably expected the Delibird to attack her like he did when they first met- the blonde turned a kind expression on him and reach down to lightly stroke his head... which somehow gave the rest of Anna's Pokémon the green light to express their approval as well, and they rushed to do so. Arcanine and Pyroar rubbed their heads against her shoulders while Eevee and Vulpix rubbed up against the blonde's other leg, Tyrunt poking his snout against the leg Olaf was hugging.

"Um... is this normal for them? Anna?" Elsa tried her best to maintain her balance as Pokémon pressed in against her from all sides. Anna had to use both hands covering her mouth to contain her amusement. "A little help please? _Anna?_"

"I'd be happy to assist!" The redhead stepped forward, gently pulling Arcanine and Pyoar back while maneuvering around the smaller Pokémon. Just when Elsa was about to release a sigh of relief, Anna closed the distance and put her arms loosely around the blonde, careful not to jostle Glaecon's perch. "There; now we can get a _real_ group hug going! Come on guys!"

Her team once again pressed close, this time joined by Glalie and Marshmallow, the former pressing against their ribs while the latter carefully wrapped his arms around the group. Glaceon nudged his head against Anna's neck, unable to do more given his position.

They all stood still and soaked in the moment, the quiet breathing of the Pokémon and snow falling around them the only way to measure the passing of time. Just as the redhead started to release her hold and step back, Elsa tentatively returned the hug.

"You do realize I won't go easy on you just because we're friends, right?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Anna replied, drawing back just enough to look the blonde in the eyes, a slight frown coming to her lips as she caught the barest hints of uncertainty looking back at her. "Other people have tried that, huh?"

"More than I'd care to count." The blonde closed her eyes a moment, smiling as she opened them. "But I choose to believe you're being sincere."

"Good, because I'm a notoriously terrible liar and that's one area I really don't want to improve in. But, just so you know, I won't be taking it easy on you, either!" Anna cast a quick glance around. "These guys might _seem_ cute and cuddly, but inside, they're lean, mean, battling machines! Right, everyone?"

Arcanine and Pyroar immediately set about showing their ferocity by opening their mouths and... licking Anna's cheeks. The redhead stumbled back, surprised, only to trip and land flat on her back in the snow. Which wasn't so bad, until Eevee, Vulpix, and Tyrunt decided to capitalize on the opportunity by pouncing on her; Eevee and Vulpix were at least somewhat careful but Anna gave a soft 'oof!' when Tyrunt landed squarely on her stomach, flailing slightly as everyone suddenly decided she made a pretty decent pillow. Olaf, being the considerate one, waited until the others were settled on her stomach and thighs before hopping onto her chest, further winding her.

Anna groaned, a grin coming to her lips as she caught the sound of barely restrained laughter, catching Elsa covering her mouth with both hands. Those stunning blue eyes were laughing, though, and she really didn't mind. "See? I told you: this is a vicious crew I've got here."

"I'm sure." The Gym Leader glanced up at the sky before returning her gaze to the grounded redhead, a soft smile on her lips as she gestured over her shoulder. "The sun will be setting soon. It promises to be a mild night but I would advise going inside before the temperature drops. You'll be more susceptible to the cold until you've acclimated." She knelt down, allowing Glaceon to dismount and lingering long enough to reach out and brush some of Anna's hair back from her eyes. "Lying in the snow certainly won't improve your resistance."

Anna couldn't help smiling at the action. "I'll go inside soon. Promise."

Without another word, the blonde stood and stepped lightly into Marshmallow's awaiting hand, climbing onto his shoulder with practiced ease. Glalie and Glaceon started towards the route, while Elsa and Marshmallow hesitated. After another moment's consideration, she spoke, her tone one of cool, crisp authority. "If you're still intent on winning the Blizzard Badge, I'll accept your challenge tomorrow at midday at Arendelle's Gym."

Anna opened her mouth, ready to offer her assistance with patrolling the route but thought better of it in light of the Elsa's advice. Instead, the redhead nodded and winked. "I'll see you then. Be prepared to lose!"

She listened as Marshmallow's tromping footsteps receded, soaking in the affection of her team as her mind wandered. She'd accepted the whole moving to a new place and starting a life there for Olaf's sake a long time ago; now, she had other motivation to reach that point and it was a surprisingly pleasant realization.

Getting caught in that blizzard might've been the best thing to ever happen to her.

* * *

Author's Note: This is not as fluffy as my more recent stuff but I'm still a glutton for angst, apparently. Sorry about that; it does get better. Also, the Gym thing is pretty legit; go back and look at the Kanto maps for the cities. For the _most_ part, if there isn't something plot related (i.e. S.S. Anne, Silph Co.) or something unique (Celedon City Department Store. Safari Zone), the Gym is in or near the dead center of the city/town. If there is something important, though, the Gym's on the edge of the map. Not always true but it's a pretty decent general rule. Also, I may have taken some liberties with the Pokémon abilities. I honestly haven't seen the show in years, so I don't know if it ever gets explored in the canon, but I figure that if something literally has an 'ice body' ability, it would be cold to touch. Thanks to all of you who have read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this story; I'm really glad y'all are enjoying my insanity.


	5. Battle for the Badge!

Disclaimer: I don't own shit. Still. Sorry for the delay on this; since I have today off, my body decided to sleep through both alarms. It's been a long week.

* * *

As Anna slowly made her way towards the heart of the Gym, she looked around her with awe, Olaf barely half a step behind. Just as the exterior had hinted, the inside of Arendelle City's Gym was huge, but that wasn't what held the redhead's attention. On either side of the spacious hallway leading deeper into the Gym were matching plaques showcasing the badges of regions from around the world. Though most Pokémon Leagues only required eight badges for entry to challenge the Elite Four, some plaques held ten or more. Anna typically only entered Gyms for the prizes, to keep her journey going; she couldn't imagine the amount of winnings the badges proved.

Then, above the doorway at the entrance to the Gym's competition arena, Anna saw the superimposed image of the Blizzard Badge, with two smaller, subdued replicas to either side. The larger of the three images had some sort of discoloration on it, like a cut running along the bottom of the stone.

Anna smiled softly at the display; she had no doubt the hallway was an homage to Elsa's parents. Unlike most trainers who challenged the Gym, Anna understood the significance of the entryway and felt a warmth settle in her chest. She hoped she could make her own parents just as proud one day, when she could call her own journey complete and begin a stable life here in Arendelle City.

Stepping into the Gym's arena, Anna swept her eyes over the room, mildly surprised at how... _normal_ it looked. Unlike some Gyms she'd challenged over the years, Elsa didn't play to her type's advantage by maintaining a cold or icy atmosphere. With a regular, sunken dirt floor marked by white lines and spacious trainer boxes, Arendelle's Gym looked almost disappointingly ordinary. If anything, she was surprised at the distinct lack of spectator seating.

"Welcome to the Arendelle City Gym." Elsa called out from the trainer's box on the other side of the arena. Behind her, Marshmallow stood, though he remained outside the official battle area. Behind him was a giant white banner with the Blizzard Badge on it, shielding whatever was on the backside of the arena. "If you truly wish to earn the Blizzard Badge, enter the challenger's box."

Anna laughed- caught somewhere between excitement and nervousness- and descended the stairs quickly, jogging to the designated box. Olaf hurried along beside her as she pulled two pokéballs from her belt, ready to toss them in once Elsa initiated the match.

"Standard double battle rules apply!" The redhead jerked in surprise, noticing for the first time that Kristoff was standing at the midway point of the field, holding one red flag and one blue flag. He raised the red flag. "Challenger! Are you ready?"

"I was born ready!" Anna shouted back.

Kristoff nodded, putting down the red flag in favor of raising the blue one in his other hand. "Gym Leader! Are you ready?"

Elsa merely nodded.

"Then may the Pokémon battle commence!"

"Adgar! Idunn! Go!" Elsa tossed out her pokéballs, revealing a Swampert and Manectric.

Anna felt her jaw pop open. Well... that didn't bode well. Her original battle plan sort of relied on the type advantage. "Th-those aren't ice types!"

"No, but they are the reason I won the Blizzard Badge myself." Anna could just barely make out the blonde's smirk. "I told you I wouldn't take it easy on you."

The redhead nodded, biting her lip. Well, it was too late to second guess herself or her team; she had to believe they could handle it. It just meant she'd have to be a bit more creative to offset the disadvantage. "Pyroar! Arcanine! Let's go!"

Arcanine and Pyroar growled menacingly the moment they took in their surroundings, setting their friendly natures aside to become the fierce competitors they were at heart.

Elsa waited a moment before issuing her orders. "Idunn! Use Discharge! Adgar! Muddy Water!"

Anna bit her lip, watching as both Pyroar and Arcanine tried to avoid the incoming attacks. The bolts of electricity were considerably easier, though a few still struck both of her Pokémon; the water, on the other hand, caught both of them in the chest and sent them sprawling, weak from the obvious type advantage.

Without conscious thought, the pokéballs were in her hands again, ready to recall her beloved companions. From the beginning, she'd underestimated everything regarding the Blizzard Badge; why had she thought to challenge Elsa so soon? "Pyroar! Arcanine!"

Both fire types struggled to their feet, still focusing intently on their opponents. Just by reading their body language, Anna could tell they were both more than ready to continue fighting despite how weak the combined attack made them. Recalling them would only upset them, making it seem as though she didn't trust their abilities.

Thinking fast, Anna called out her orders. "Pyroar! Use flamethrower around yourself and Arcanine!" She waited a moment as Pyroar created rings of fire around her two Pokémon, hoping it would be long enough to dry the mud caked into their fur. "Now! Arcanine, Pyroar, take down that Swampert!"

Arcanine barked and Pyroar roared as they charged through the rings of fire, their coats sporting a light coat of dried mud that would hopefully give them some protection against Manectric's electric attacks.

"Clever." Elsa grinned, then raised her voice. "Adgar! Brace for the impact!"

Swampert set his stance a little wider, growling out as the two fire types crashed into him with their full weight. He slid back in the mud that his attack had turned the field into but remained upright, using his arms to grab hold of Arcanine and Pyroar. The mud had also prevented Pyroar and Arcanine from gaining full speed before crashing into him, unfortunately.

"Idunn! Discharge again!" Elsa called out and Anna gasped in shock. Swampert was a water type; surely the blonde wouldn't sacrifice one of her own Pokémon for a victory, right?

However, as the bolts hit the combined pile, the redhead noticed how the Swampert didn't even react. It occurred to her a moment too late that Swampert was also part _ground_ type, rendering him completely immune to the electric attack.

Swampert released his opponents after the lightning faded, Arcanine stumbling for a moment while Pyroar immediately fell to the ground. The mud coating hadn't done nearly enough to reduce the potency of the Manectric's attack, and Arcanine fell a moment later.

Kristoff raised the red flag. "Arcanine and Pyroar are unable to continue the battle!"

"We've gotten off to worse starts, I guess." Anna mumbled to herself, holding out both pokéballs and returning her companions. She regarded them with a soft smile. "Sorry guys; I know you tried your best."

Stowing them away, Anna quickly assessed her options, producing two more pokéballs from her belt. Obviously, she wouldn't be able to muscle her way to a victory. "Eevee! Tyrunt! Go!"

As the two took the field, they struck defiant poses... until noticing their opponents' sizes, at which point Eevee's ears drooped slightly while Tyrunt looked back towards Anna pleadingly.

"Don't be intimidated! We can do this, together!" Anna smiled as Tyrunt and Eevee perked up almost instantly. "Tyrunt! Spread Stealth Rocks across the field!" Tyrunt roared, white specks rising from its body and the ground to form several large rocks that scattered across the field. "Now, Eevee! Use Swift!" Several golden stars appeared in the air as Eevee concentrated, flying across the field to slam into the Swampert and Manectric. "Yeah!"

"You'll have to do better than that, Anna," Elsa said. "Adgar! Idunn! Again!"

"Eevee! Tyrunt! Dive into the mud!"

All four Pokémon sprung into action almost simultaneously. As Eevee and Tyrunt- mindful of the jagged rocks- burrowed themselves into the softened soil, electric bolts flew over them. The muddy water that followed buried them further and turned the entire field into a treacherous mudpit, complete with the rocks pointing out every which way. In the process, the back splash of water sent several of the jagged rocks crashing into Adgar and Idunn.

"Alright!" Anna scanned the now murky field, hoping to find her Pokémon. Just as she suspected, though, their colorings allowed them to blend into the mud, and it took an extra moment for her to catch sight of her hidden fighters. "Tyrunt! Get in close to Swampert! Eevee! Hit 'em with Swift again!"

"Adgar! Idunn! Dodge the attack!" Elsa directed but to detrimental effect; with the stones in the mud, neither of the larger Pokémon could move easily without hitting one of the rocks littering the battlefield, and the shock of hitting the rocks left them open for the Swift attack.

"Tyrunt! Use Crunch once you're in range!" Anna shouted as Adgar and Idunn raised their voices in pain at the wounds inflicted by both Swift attacks and the rocks. "Eevee! Same thing with Bite!"

"Adgar! Grab hold of them before they can attack!" Elsa called out but the Swampert seemed confused, searching the shifting mud around himself without actually catching sight of either of the smaller Pokémon. His partner seemed equally unsure of where their smaller opponents were, until both sprung from beneath the mud and sunk their teeth into Adgar. Whether or not they were aiming for the wounds inflicted by Arcanine, Pyroar, and the rocks was anyone's guess, but as Tyrunt's strong jaw clamped onto a particularly sore spot, Adgar cried out in pain, another, weaker cry sounding as Eevee's teeth pierced a fin. "Adgar!"

Seeing her teammate in pain, Idunn instantly charged forward, jaws opened wide and brimming with electricity. Eevee was closest, but the smaller Pokémon disengaged before Idunn could reach her and retreated into the mud.

"Nice try, but my Eevee's quicker!" Anna laughed. "Just like that, you two! You're doing great!"

Elsa seemed unimpressed... or perhaps worried, it was hard to tell at that distance. "Idunn! Use Discharge!"

Electricity lit up the arena once more and Anna's heart dropped as she heard Eevee cry out. When the flashing died down, she could see her Pokémon struggling slightly as it retreated back towards Anna's side of the field. The mud probably helped save her from getting knocked out but also made her movements sluggish. Despite being hit with the same attack, Tyrunt handled it much better thanks to his partial rock typing.

Seeing Eevee hurt, however, he _didn't_ handle so well.

Releasing his hold on Adgar, Tyrunt started running towards Eevee as fast as his little legs could carry him through the sloshing mud.

From the sidelines, Kristoff sighed. He was really pulling for Anna to win but, with both of her Pokémon turned away from their enemies, it left both open for easy attacks.

Elsa didn't miss out on the opportunity. "Adgar! Take Down Tyrunt! Idunn! Quick Attack on Eevee!"

Anna could only watch as both Pokémon surged forward, dread welling in her gut as she tried to frantically think of something to save Eevee and Tyrunt. However, Tyrunt had it covered; upon hearing Elsa's orders, the tiny dragon turned around and roared, intent on protecting Eevee. In the blink of an eye, Tyrunt started to glow white, surprising Anna just as much as the others.

"Tyrunt?" The redhead muttered, feeling the familiar, bittersweet sensation of watching one of her Pokémon move on to the next stage of their line. It passed as Tyrunt's glowing white form shifted and grew, her heart filling with pride. As the glow died and the former Tyrunt let out a ferocious cry, she took the opportunity to call out to him using his new name. "Tyrantrum! Knock them back!"

Now over seven feet tall, Tyrantrum roared again, directing his voice at Idunn and startling the Manectric bad enough to send it stumbling in the mud. Adgar, on the other hand, continued his charge and was met with the dragon's tail as he spun around, sending the poor Swampert flying through the air and crashing into the arena wall to the side of the banner, beyond Elsa's trainer box.

"Adgar!" Elsa took a few steps towards the Swampert before remembering herself, looking to Kristoff for confirmation.

The blond held up the blue flag a moment later. "Swampert is unable to continue the battle!"

"Adgar, return!" The Gym Leader looked immensely relieved once her companion was safely within his pokéball once more. "Thank you, my friend. You did very well." Switching to one of her other pokéballs, Elsa threw it up. "Glaceon! Go!"

Glaceon jumped onto the field with a soft cry. Anna- though she tried not to count her Pidgeys before they hatched- figured this would bring an end to the large scale electric attacks for the time being. She had to consciously resist clapping in joy as Tyrantrum's Stealth Rocks activated, five of them glowing white before launching at Glaceon, sending him sprawling.

"Eevee! Can you still use Swift?" Anna clenched her hands into fists, refocusing her attention on finishing the fight quickly. Eevee growled, summoning more stars that went flying at Idunn and Glaceon. "Good! Now, Tyrantrum! Use Dragon Claw on Manectric!"

The now large dragon tromped over to Idunn, lashing out with the claws of its short arms as they covered in the blue fire of dragon type attacks. It was a bit of an awkward sight, but effective, even if Tyrantrum reared back in surprise and pain. Elsa's words from yesterday came rushing back to her mind, how many of the blonde's Pokémon shared a particular ability. Anna would've bet money that Idunn and Glaceon had a similar ability to Glalie, which rendered touching the Pokémon a bad idea.

Physical attacks would only hurt her team further; she'd have to adjust her tactics accordingly. Unfortunately, most of Tyrantrum's attacks involved contact, and Eevee really only had the Swift attack as a non-physical move.

Dang it.

"Glaceon! Blizzard on Tyrantrum! Idunn! Thunder Fang on Eevee!" Elsa ordered, not sounding the least bit concerned about potentially losing the battle.

Not that Anna would expect her to be; with nearly half her team down, the redhead was considerably worse off, especially since she rarely used Olaf in battle.

Tyrantrum, for his part, tried to keep Idunn from reaching Eevee, but Glaceon's blizzard effectively blinded him. The dragon roared, fighting against the icy blasts even as the Manectric slipped behind him, electrified fang bearing down on the smaller Pokémon.

"Eevee! Last resort!" Anna shouted, biting her lip as her companion launched herself at the attack, meeting Idunn midair. A moment later, the Manectric stumbled away, obviously more than dazed while Eevee dropped to the ground. "Tyrantrum! Dragon Tail!"

Swinging around, enraged, Tyrantrum whipped Idunn across the field with his attack, sending her sprawling by Elsa's feet. Both trainers looked to Kristoff, itching to recall their respective Pokémon.

He raised both flags. "Eevee and Manectric are no longer able to continue battling!"

"Return Eevee!" Anna nearly cried, cradling the pokéball with a sad smile. She hadn't meant to put her poor friends through all this; now, she _had_ to win, or else this would all be for nothing.

Across the field, Elsa was staring at her own pokéball with a similar expression. "You did very well, Idunn."

"Vulpix! You're up!"

Vulpix jumped onto the field, bristling fiercely as she ran up beside Tyrantrum. Anna noted the curious glance Vulpix gave the now towering dragon before focusing on their opponents, but figured all her Pokémon could adjust to the change later. At the moment, she had to end this battle- _quick_.

"Glalie! Go!" The moment the floating Pokémon appeared, four more stones scattered throughout the field began glowing white and went flying through the air, crashing into Glalie roughly. Although momentarily shaken, he seemed to recover surprisingly quickly.

Anna grit her teeth. With both ice types on the field, she theoretically had the type advantage. However, given how well Adgar and Idunn worked together, she sincerely doubted Glaceon and Glalie would fare any worse.

"Tyrantrum! Dragon Claw on Glaceon! Vulpix! Flamethrower on Glalie!"

"Glalie! Use Hail! Glaceon! Icy Wind!"

The commands were given at nearly the same time from Anna and Elsa. As a result, the Pokémon all sprang into action in almost perfect synchronization. A fierce, arctic wind laden with hail suddenly appeared in the confined space, cutting straight through Anna's jacket as it filled the Gym. Tyrantrum roared as he tried to land his attack on Glaceon, who seemed to melt into the fierce storm that consumed the field. Pelted by the chunks of ice as he was, Tyrantrum missed his attack and thrashed around in frustration as he squinted against the assault. Vulpix managed slightly better, given her Flamethrower melted some of the ice and cut against the wind, but she still cried out in pain at the combined icy blast.

Anna put her hand up, squinting against the wind and hail as she yelled. "Tyrantrum! Try to find them using Dragon Tail! Vulpix! Use Inferno to clear the storm!"

"Glaceon! Glalie! Use Blizzard!" Anna could just barely hear Elsa's commands and grit her teeth as yet another impossibly cold gust sent a shiver down her spine, hail crashing into her, and several spikes of ice into both Vulpix and Tyrantrum. The large dragon staggered a bit, shaking his head as he tried to find the source of the attack. "Now! Glalie, use Ice Beam on Tyrantrum! Glaceon, Ice Fang!"

"Tyrantrum! Crunch Glaceon when he gets close!"

The dragon roared but, ultimately, couldn't deliver the attack, as Glaceon practically materialized out of the wind and ice itself to deliver the blow while he was reeling from the direct hit to his chest from the Ice Beam. Tyrantrum fell to the ground as hail and wind continued pelting him, making a few attempts to get up before letting out a pained whine.

Anna looked to Kristoff, who seemed to be weathering the storm better than her; even if he was able to get up, the redhead couldn't bear watching Tyrantrum continue struggling.

Thankfully, he raised the red flag. "Tyrantrum is unable to continue the battle!"

Upon recalling him, Anna gave a- slightly useless, admittedly- pat to the pokéball. "You dig great, Tyrantrum. You really did."

Anna glanced down at Olaf, who was worriedly watching the battle continue. Being an ice type himself, he wasn't nearly as bothered by the storm as Anna or her team, but she was still nervous about sending him into battle. As if reading her thoughts, he looked up at her and nodded resolutely, puffing up his chest. She would sometimes question the intelligence of her Pokémon, wondering just how much of what she said and did that they understood. At this point, she believed Olaf was more than aware of how badly they needed to win this battle, determination reflecting in his beady eyes.

"Get out there, Olaf!" Anna tried her best to put on a brave face as her faithful companion waddled into the storm as quickly as he could. For her part, Vulpix stood her ground, letting out little bouts of flames to keep herself warm. "Now, Olaf! Use Secret Power!"

Olaf chirped quickly, a white glow enveloping his body just before shooting out across the field, the light splintering into tiny shards that mimicked the Blizzard attack Glaceon and Glalie had used before. With the icy wind temporarily stalled, Anna could just barely make out where Elsa's Pokémon were hiding.

"Vulpix, hurry! Use Flamethrower!" The small fox shook her head to clear the ice from herself before letting out a large column of searing flame. Glaceon took most of the hit, though the hail kicked up towards the tail end and submerged it once more within the storm. "Good job, guys! Again!"

"Glaceon! Glalie! Blizzard!"

"Crap!" Anna instantly tried to change her commands but it was too late, Olaf once again clearing the field long enough for Vulpix to send a plume of fire straight for Glalie, who met the attack with his blizzard. Glaceon's Blizzard attack, on the other hand, went undeterred, striking both Olaf and Vulpix. While the Delibird had little trouble taking the hit, Vulpix faltered slightly, being worn down by the constant barrage of hail and becoming colder as the continuing storm lowered the Gym's temperature drastically. Small as she was, Anna worried Vulpix would push herself too far and had her pokéball in hand, ready to recall her poor fox. From where she stood, Anna could tell Vulpix was too stiff to be natural, likely fighting the effects of being frozen in place, leaving her unable to dodge quickly as Eevee had. "Olaf! Protect Vulpix!"

"Glaceon, quick! Use Ice Fang!"

Before Olaf had a chance to reach her, Glaceon jumped out from the wind of the storm, landing a chilled bite into Vulpix's shoulder. As she suspected, Vulpix hadn't even been able to dodge the attack, and Anna felt her heart jump into her throat as fear clutched at her. She should've heeded the warnings a bit better, should've listened instead of pushing through, and at least acclimated her team to the higher altitude and the colder weather before challenging Elsa.

Kristoff raised the red flag as Vulpix collapsed to the ground. "Vulpix is unable to continue the battle!"

"Vulpix, return!" Anna shouted, close to tears. Now, it was Olaf left against two very coordinated opponents. She just hoped none of her Pokémon would pay for her recklessness permanently. In fact... that possibility alone wasn't worth the risk. While Arcanine and Pyroar were naturally tougher due to their larger size and their raising, Eevee had pushed herself a little too had, Tyrantrum and Vulpix had never faced ice types before, especially not such powerful ones, and Olaf was- quite frankly- no match for two opponents. He wasn't the battling sort, more of a companion than a competitor.

Suddenly, the hail storm stopped, and as the field cleared, Anna could hardly believe what she saw. Glaceon and Glalie were waiting, still primed for fighting and not looking even a little haggard, despite the attack Vulpix landed earlier.

"When a Pokémon has the Ice Body ability, hail and other cold environmental effects actually benefit them." Elsa's voice barely registered in the redhead's mind.

Her next course of action was obvious.

"Olaf, return." Anna stood up straight and smiled, though her shoulders were slumped in defeat. The Delibird initially squawked in protest but she raised a hand to calm him. "I don't doubt you'll give it your all, buddy, but the others are injured and need attention. We're not giving up, I promise, but today isn't the day."

"You're withdrawing your challenge?" Elsa raised a brow, her voice conveying surprise better than the minute gesture could, given the distance.

"Are you sure, Anna?" The redhead could see the concern on Kristoff's face, since he was much closer. She merely nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment and mentally berating herself. She hated losing, not because she cared about her status as a trainer but because it meant her team took a serious beating in the process. As their trainer, she should've done a better job preparing them. "The battle is over! Gym Leader Elsa wins!"

Anna started towards the center of the field as Olaf, Glaceon, and Glalie visibly relaxed. "Thank you for the opportunity, Miss Elsa. I hope the next time we battle, I'm a little more prepared."

"You did very well, honestly," Elsa replied, moving forward, too. "I'm impressed; most never make it past Adgar and Idunn."

"My Pokémon did all the work." The redhead sighed, ruffling a few of Olaf's feathers as she reached him. "They're real troopers."

As Elsa reached the middle of the field, they shook hands, with Kristoff coming to join them with a wide smile.

"Don't forget they have a pretty good trainer, too."

"He has a point." Elsa smiled, folding her arms over her stomach. "I look forward to our next battle but we should both get our Pokémon healed at the Center."

Anna nodded, sensing the blonde was just as concerned about her companions and trying to appear calm. Turning around, the redhead led the way, walking a bit quicker than necessary as Olaf followed alongside. Behind her, she could hear Elsa calling for Marshmallow, whose heavy steps followed shortly after.

Before Anna could even cover half the distance to the challenger's trainer box, however, the doors leading to the arena suddenly burst open.

Literally.

Anna stumbled back, throwing her hands up in reflex as pieces of the Gym's doors went flying. She could hear the cries of surprise from behind her, plus Marshmallow's roar of alarm as he began to run towards them. Looking up with wide eyes, the redhead's gaze landed squarely on a familiar figure.

"Hans? What are you doing?" The redhead grit her teeth, scowling at the young man. "I don't know who you _think_ you are but you don't go around destroying people's doors! That's extremely rude!"

Rather than give some sort of logical excuse for his actions- as if such a thing was possible- Hans merely smiled, descending the same steps Anna had used to reach the field. Behind him, his Dragonite and a Garchomp followed.

"Who do I think I am? Why, you're looking at the soon-to-be newest member of the Yensid Elite Four!"

Kristoff scoffed. "Yeah, right. Because destroying buildings is definitely a requirement on the resumé."

"Oh, such sparkling wit. How droll." Hans reached the field, waiting for his Pokémon to finish the descent and growling something at Garchomp when it didn't make the journey quick enough. "Now, seeing as I'm already here, I demand a battle from the Gym Leader." He settled his gaze on Elsa, a slight smirk to his lips. "Unless she wants to forfeit now."

"_I_ am the Gym Leader and _I_ decide who will challenge me for the Blizzard Badge and when." Without looking, Anna could hear the clear dismissal in her tone, imagining Hans was being met with the same quiet yet blazing anger Elsa had directed at her upon waking up in Arendelle. "As I've already told you, you may return in two days' time at midday, _if_ you've managed to fix my Gym doors before then. Otherwise, you should leave now and never return to Arendelle City."

Hans quirked a brow. "Is that a threat?"

"No, it's an ultimatum." Anna spared a glance over her shoulder to see perhaps the coldest glare ever worn by human or Pokémon adorning the blonde's face. Glaceon and Glalie were pressed close to her, with Marshmallow hurrying across the field like an avalanche bearing down on them. "You pick one outcome of those provided. That's it."

Scratching at his chin in thought, Hans sighed after a moment. "And here I was, hoping you wouldn't be so foolish. Very well then. Dragonite! Garchomp! Hyper Beam, now!"

Both dragons opened their mouths, energy gathering in front of their jaws as they directed their attack.

Only one thought occurred to Anna.

"Olaf!" She turned, pointing towards Elsa and the others. "Protect them!" There was a moment of disbelief shining in the Delibird's eyes but her resolve didn't waver. "_Now!_"

It was automatic, almost instinctual. As much as he wanted to protest, Olaf obeyed his trainer, hopping quickly towards Glalie, Glaceon, Elsa, and Kristoff and jumping up, a white circle forming in front of his body and expanding to protect those behind him, stretching up high enough to even give Marshmallow cover, despite being much further back than the others.

It wasn't a moment too soon as both attacks shot above Anna's head, impacting Olaf's protective barrier. The resulting explosion sent Anna to the ground, her eyes stinging from the brightness of the blast while her body ached, hit by both the shockwave of the combined attacks and the hardness of the frozen ground. Blinking away the spots in her eyes, she turned her head to make sure Olaf's Protect defense had worked.

She let out a quiet sigh of relief to see her Delibird was merely dazed and that everyone was unharmed, the sigh turning into a hiss as she noticed her shoulder was likely dislocated given the mind numbing pain she felt radiating from the limb. Without thinking, she clutched at it, prompting a gasp of pain as she realized pressure in the wrong direction made it phenomenally worse. Regardless, she sat up and called out to Olaf.

"You okay, buddy?"

Olaf shook his head, squawking out something that she could tell was a scolding directed at her.

"Oh, Anna." Hans sighed, receiving a heated glare from the injured redhead. "You're making this much more difficult and painful than it needs to be." He shrugged, completely unaffected by the anger rolling off her. "Although, I do wish you'd been a little more apt a trainer. You didn't even manage to take down half her team!"

"You're no match for Miss Elsa, Hans." She bit back.

He merely laughed. "No, _you_ were no match for her. I, on the other hand, am more than capable of taking the Blizzard Badge, this Gym, and my rightful place in the Elite Four."

Anna opened her mouth to reply but was cut short when Elsa suddenly dropped down beside her.

"Are you okay, Anna?" The blonde furrowed her brows, lightly placing a hand on the redhead's shoulder. She instantly retracted her hand when Anna winced.

"I'm fine, really, it's just dislocated, I think. Happens all the time." She forced a smile, trying to get to her feet. A moment later, she was fighting slight vertigo as Elsa stepped over and picked her up, one arm around the redhead's shoulders while the other hooked beneath her knees. On instinct, Anna put her good arm around Elsa's neck, which she moved almost as quickly as the blonde settled her in Marshmallow's arms.

"Press your shoulder against him; the cold will help keep the swelling down and numb the pain a bit." Elsa instructed before turning her attention to Hans. "Are you so intent on joining the Elite Four that you'll completely disregard the tenets of sportsmanship in order to achieve your goal?"

Hans rolled his eyes. "This is a means to an end, not a proper contest. I _belong_ in the Elite Four as the Dragon Master; to waste my time with unnecessary battles is pointless. Now." He motioned his dragons forward. "Will you at least _try_ to lose with dignity, or do I have to kill you first?"

Elsa remained silent for a moment and Anna forced down the instinct to scramble out of Marshmallow's grasp and put the beat down on the creep herself; she'd seen enough fighting types over the years to have picked up a trick or two on introducing pain with her fists. Heck, she'd boxed with her Hitmonchan once. She could definitely knock his lights out, if she could get close enough.

_Allow me_...

The redhead looked around, unsure where the voice had come from, or if it was just the lightheadedness getting to her.

"Very well. If I can't dissuade you from your foolish decision, I will accept your challenge." Elsa turned, her eyes as bright and clear as ice. "Glalie, Glaceon, Marshmallow, clear the field." Her expression softened slightly as she turned her gaze to the Delibird hopping from one foot to the other around Marshmallow, trying to get a better look at his trainer. "You too, Olaf."

"Why not just leave the first two victims out." Hans smirked. "Or are you _that_ intent on doing things properly?"

"By no means; in fact, I encourage you to expedite this battle." Elsa pulled the all white premier ball from her belt, hitting the center button to enlarge it. "I will use only one Pokémon for this battle. You may use as many as you have- your entire team at once, if you wish. The trainer with the last Pokémon standing wins."

"Finally, someone who accepts the inevitable outcome." Hans sneered pulling two more pokéballs from his belt. "Pity I'll have to disgrace you in your own Gym."

Elsa remained silent as she made her way back to her trainer's box, giving Kristoff a subtle nod. While Marshmallow cradled Anna to his chest and tried his best not to jostle her, Glalie carried Olaf so the group could move quicker. As her team took up a position behind the trainer's box, Marshmallow turned so Anna could watch the ensuing battle. She wasn't quite sure where Kristoff disappeared to in the meantime but she had enough on her mind to worry about that later.

The cold emanating from Marshmallow's body was helping with the pain, that much was true, but it did nothing for the unease settling in her stomach as Hans brought his entire team onto the field.

Aside from his Dragonite and Garchomp, Hans also had a Haxorus, a Druddigon, a Salamence, and an Empoleon, all dragon types except for the last. Anna instantly recognized the latter as one of the starter Pokémon from the Sinnoh region. She had half a mind to go back to Sinnoh, track down whoever gave him the green light to begin his journey, and personally deliver a few good knots on that person's head.

"Well? Let's get this started." Hans huffed impatiently. "I have better things to do than wait for this battle to begin."

Elsa tossed her pokéball up, not bothering to call forth its occupant. Instead, the ball opened and red energy poured forth, eventually taking a shape nearly as tall as Marshmallow. When the form finally solidified, Anna gasped in surprise; she recognized the Pokémon instantly, even if she didn't actually believe the legends told about it.

"Th-that's Kyurem!" Anna wasn't sure which caused her stutter- surprise or the chill that suddenly fell heavily upon the arena- but shrunk back into Marshmallow all the same on instinct. "The legendary ice dragon of Unova!"

"_Ice_ dragon? There's no such thing!" Hans growled, gritting his teeth as his own Pokémon took a collective step back, intimidated by Kyurem.

"_Do not deny what stands before you, Human._" An eerie voice filled the arena, causing Anna and Hans to look around, searching for its source. "_I have existed for centuries before you and I will exist for centuries after; I am no mere myth._"

"Anna." Elsa's voice was soft and soothing as she spoke over her shoulder. "That's Kyurem's voice. Many of the ancient Pokémon of legend have somehow developed the ability to communicate telepathically. You don't have to be afraid."

The redhead stared at her a moment before nodding, feeling her anxiety drain away as Elsa's words sank in.

"He's still pretty intimidating, though." She admitted quietly.

Kyurem turned his head, his long neck allowing him to look back towards them. Anna met the dragon's pupiless gaze, somehow realizing he was looking straight at her until his gaze shifted towards Elsa.

"_I like her honesty_," he said before swinging his head back towards Hans' team.

Though she couldn't see Elsa's expression, she could hear her smile as she quietly replied. "I like her, too."

"Whatever." Hans spat, brows furrowed in frustration. "All of you! Direct your strongest attacks at Kyurem!"

"Kyurem, Glaciate," Elsa said, the command barely loud enough to reach Anna's ears. Kyurem heard it loud and clear though, a fiercely cold wind picking up from nowhere and sweeping across the field. Ice crystals formed on Hans' team, each Pokémon stopping their attacks as they shivered uncontrollably. "Now, Dragon Pulse."

Purple tinged energy collected before Kyurem's head, sweeping out across the field like his previous attack. The unfortunate side effect of dragon types had to be their weakness to themselves, and Hans' team felt the power of the attack doubly so, all except Empoleon. Not that the grass type was faring too much better.

"Kyurem, finish this, please." Elsa met the ice dragon's gaze when he turned his head. "Outrage."

Kyurem's eyes began glowing red as similarly colored energy enveloped the dragon's body, rolling off it in waves and arching into the air. A roar filled the air, rattling Anna's bones and prompting even Glaceon, Glalie, Olaf, and Marshmallow to shrink back as Kyurem surged forward, picking Druddigon and Salamence as his first two targets.

Neither was a match for the larger dragon as it barreled over Druddigon and spun, the prongs of his tail slicing into Salamence. Before either could recover, Kyurem bashed his head against Salamence, sending it flying back and out of the field. Druddigon managed to stagger to its feet but another head bash from Kyurem sent it bouncing across the frozen dirt to land atop Salamence.

"What? No!" Hans growled, watching in horror as Kyurem continued towards Dragonite and Haxorus, still in the throes of his Outrage. "Why are you just standing there? Do something!"

Dragonite tried to summon its Hyper Beam but Kyurem swung low, knocking it to the ground with his left wing. Haxorus took only a single step before Kyurem bashed his head against the other dragon's chest. With a sweep of his short tail, Kyurem sent Haxorus and Dragonite rolling across the boundary of the field, neither moving after the dust settled around them.

Empoleon managed to get an attack off, a jet of water flying towards the enraged dragon. Kyurem brushed off the attack, focusing on Garchomp. A moment later, the last of Hans' dragons was lying beside the others while Empoleon followed a few moments after, having a tad more resistance but still no match for the legendary dragon.

"This is impossible!" Hans surveyed his beaten team, focusing on Kyurem again when the ice dragon started towards him.

"Enough," Elsa said, bringing the dragon's rampage to a sudden stop. "You've lost, Hans."

He grit his teeth, ready to say something but Kyurem's presence- and quiet but bone-rattling growl- kept the words from leaving his mouth.

"Also, you will be arrested for the _destruction_ you've caused, as well as violating the standard rules of conduct that governs all trainers." Elsa crossed her arms over her chest. "But really, the only charge _I_ care about is reckless endangerment. Your ridiculous Hyper Beam assault hurt Anna."

He actually laughed at that. "Charges? Arrested? By who?" Hans started reaching for the pokéballs on his belt. "You really think I'm sticking around long enough to get caught?"

"Little late to make your grand escape." Everyone directed their gaze to where the doors to the arena formerly stood, taking note of one very irate Officer Jenny standing beside a slightly out-of-breath Kristoff. As she descended to the arena floor, her gaze was focused directly on Hans. A Mamoswine came to stand at the top of the stairs, watching its trainer, while Kristoff crossed the distance towards Elsa and Anna. "You've got a lot to answer for!"

Whatever else Officer Jenny had to say was lost as Anna's attention was grabbed by Kristoff.

"I told mom to come too. How's your shoulder, Anna?" Kristoff frowned, noting how the redhead seemed a bit dazed.

Truthfully, the pain had died down some time ago, thanks in part to Marshmallow's cold body. What had her sitting there, completely at a loss for words, was how quickly and effectively Kyurem had dispatched Hans' _entire team_. Instead of replying to Kristoff, she shifted her gaze to Elsa, who was accepting Kyurem's head into her arms, brushing a hand up and down the icy part of his skull to soothe the dragon further.

"I thought you said you wouldn't take it easy on me?" At the blonde's curious glance, Anna motioned towards the six unconscious Pokémon with her good arm. "If you'd used Kyurem at the beginning of our battle, I wouldn't have lasted more than a minute!"

Elsa smirked. "Kyurem doesn't battle on behalf of Arendelle City Gym. If he hadn't volunteered, I still wouldn't have used him, honestly."

"Then you cheated!" Hans roared, the shock of his failure wearing off as Officer Jenny snapped cuffs on his wrists. "That battle was rigged!"

"_Not being of your species doesn't make me ignorant of your rules, Human,_" Kyurem said, lifting his head away from Elsa to look at Hans. "_A Gym Leader is entitled to use any Pokémon in their possession to judge the worthiness of their opponents in a contest of their choosing. I claimed this Human as my trainer years ago, for the duration of her life. According to your Human rules, our battle was a valid challenge._" He waited a beat. "_Which you lost, miserably, in case that wasn't clear._"

"Why you-"

"Hey, you'd better keep quiet!" Officer Jenny turned Hans around and started marching him towards the Gym's entrance. "I can still add disturbing the peace, resisting arrest, and being an all around _nuisance_ to your list of charges you know!"

With everything settled down, Marshmallow set Anna down on the ground, giving her a moment to cradle her injured arm before pulling away. Olaf instantly attached himself to her leg, chirping at her to ensure she was alright. If she wasn't holding her arm, she would've tried consoling him, but settled for kneeling down and speaking, her voice soft.

"I'm gonna be okay, buddy. Let's go to the Pokémon Center and get everyone else checked out, okay?"

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere." Kristoff stepped up, hands out like he was ready to physically prevent her from leaving. "You need to get your arm checked out before anything _worse_ happens. My mom will be here in a moment and you're not leaving until she's seen you. We can get your Pokémon checked out later."

The redhead set her jaw defiantly, ready to wage war on the issue if need be. Her own health and well being _never_ came before that of her Pokémon.

"How about a compromise?" Elsa just barely cut off the redhead's argument, using the tone Anna had come to associate with Elsa the person rather than the Gym Leader. It was softer, not as cold, but just as firm. "We'll stay here waiting for Bulda and Kristoff can take your Pokémon to the Center. He has a point; leaving your shoulder unattended could lead to a worse injury, which I'm sure none of your companions would want."

Anna bit her lip, wincing when Olaf pecked her leg. Yup, she'd lost this one quicker than the actual battle.

"Okay, okay." The redhead relented, twisting around to reach for her pokéballs. "Just let me-"

"No." Elsa closed the distance, picking the pokéballs from Anna's belt before the redhead could protest and handing them off to Kristoff. She added Adgar and Idunn to the group, then glanced at Hans' Pokémon. "We can't ignore them or blame them for their trainer's foolish choices." She muttered, almost to herself. Turning to the Abomasnow, she spoke a bit louder. "Marshmallow? Could you help the others?"

"Oh, hey, that's right." Kristoff shifted the pokéballs to one arm, grabbing one of his own from his belt. With a toss, it opened, and Beartic joined the assembled Pokémon. "Beartic, help Marshmallow, okay?"

Elsa watched the newest addition curiously. "He's calmed down considerably."

"Turns out, there was a thorn in his paw when he evolved." Kristoff shrugged. "Took me a while to find it _and_ keep him still long enough to pull it out." He frowned slightly. "Nurse Joy still hasn't forgiven me for wrecking the big room in the back of the Center." He turned towards the exit. "I'll run these up to her and grab Sven; I'm sure he can help Beartic and Marshmallow."

Anna watched him go with a furrow in her brow. She hated turning over her companions like that but she wanted them to get the help they needed as soon as possible. If they wouldn't let her do it herself, she had to let Kristoff do it. He was a good guy, though, so she shouldn't worry.

"It's going to be okay." Elsa's voice was soft as she coaxed Anna into a sitting position. Kyurem settled behind her, giving the redhead another relatively cool source to keep the pain and swelling down.

Anna sighed, leaning her head back. As Kyurem twisted his long neck around so he could look at Anna, the redhead put her uninjured hand on his head, avoiding the ice to stroke along the yellow stripe. The blonde sat beside her, Glaceon crawling into Elsa's lap as Olaf sat himself in Anna's. Glalie hovered above them, seemingly content with being in the area. Though they weren't her team- well, aside for Olaf- Anna felt the familiar warmth of being surrounded by friends fill her chest even as their cool bodies numbed her pain.

"Was... he a friend of yours?" Elsa quietly ventured after a few minutes, earning a chuckle from the redhead. Perhaps it was the rush from pain and excitement, but she could've sworn the blonde sounded a tad bit jealous asking that.

"Nope, not at all. I met him while I was in Glowerhaven; he kept trying to get me to share a room with him so we could split the expenses." She lightly ruffled Olaf's feathers, trying to keep herself still as possible despite the urge to laugh at the irony. "There you go, buddy; that's another one you got right on the money."

"I take it Olaf didn't approve," the blonde said, placing a calming hand on Glalie's side. It was only then that Anna noticed the concern flashing in Glaceon and Glalie's eyes as they watched her.

"That's why he's my official decision-maker." Anna frowned, tilting her head slightly to look at Elsa. "When did Hans get here, though? Did you have to save him, too?"

The Gym Leader shook her head. "He arrived yesterday just as I was heading out to check the route. I told him when he could challenge me for the badge and he went straight to the inn after that." She frowned. "I can't believe he actually thought he could-"

Anna could see the cold anger rising up within her again and quickly reached out, taking the blonde's hand into hers. "Hey, the past is in the past, remember? The important thing is we're all okay and he failed."

Elsa squeezed her hand, leaning as though she was about to hug the redhead but thinking better of it. Instead, she settled for shuffling closer, allowing Anna to rest her good shoulder against her a bit more firmly. Even though Kyurem's skin was rough and cold, the chill was pleasant at the moment and she was comfortable enough. A bit too suddenly, a wave of exhaustion passed over the redhead, and she put her head on the blonde's shoulder, her eyes becoming too heavy to remain open.

That was driven away completely when the woman called Bulda appeared, loudly declaring she was ready to pop Anna's shoulder back in place.

While her fear of Pokémon had dwindled to nothingness over the years, she'd developed a bit of an aversion to doctors and nurses. Especially ones who seemed a bit _too_ excited about their chosen line of work.

Bulda Bjorgman definitely fit that description to the letter.

If Elsa and Olaf weren't there to comfort her through it, she probably would've bolted or passed out, or both in that order.

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Author's Notes: Boom. Big battle. Hope y'all enjoyed it and thanks for all the faves, reviews, follows, and views. Also, I just want to say that I actually like Hans as a character. I don't like him as a person or enjoy his personality; I respect that he's pretty damn good at the manipulation station, he's driven, and he's smart. Of course, this means he would be smart enough to force Elsa into a battle while she was at a disadvantage or stage an accident and use his charm to be awarded the badge. I'm just saying, I don't always use him as a 'bad guy' but he does lend himself to the role remarkably well. Oh, and if you're wondering "why Kyurem?" it's because of Elsa's timeline in this story. While she did travel the regions as a child with her parents, after their deaths she went back to Hoenn, then left to return to Yensid, stopping only briefly in Unova. So, Unova legendary it was, and Kyurem fit the bill. Plus, I see some similarities between him and canon!Elsa... and I think he's adorable with those itty bitty arms. Why do they keep giving the dragon types T-Rex arms? It makes them look so adorable.

Edit: So, I flubbed with Hans' starter. He's from Sinnoh and I got the generations mixed up and had him with a Serperior instead of Empoleon. That's my bad. It's fixed now. Thanks toSempiternity for pointing that out.


	6. A Bond is Forged

Disclaimer: You get the idea. Also, didn't realize this chapter was so long. Sorry.

* * *

It took a relatively short amount of time for Anna to discover she really didn't like slings. It was only on Bulda's stern warning that she even wore the stupid thing. That, and Kristoff's and Elsa's warnings that disobeying the city's doctor was a _really_ bad idea.

The only brightside to the whole ordeal was that Kristoff managed to get her Pokémon healed at the Center, bringing them back to her around the same time Bulda finished giving the redhead a talking to about overdoing it. At everyone's urging- including Kyurem and Olaf, oddly enough- Anna went back to Kristoff's instead of checking on her Pokémon immediately, turning in rather early after a quick meal. Apparently, the stress of the battle and Hans' attack had taken more of a toll on her than she'd originally thought.

The next morning, however, she was free to at least let her team out, tossing each pokéball individually. Seeing her arm in the sling caused a bit of distress among her companions, though- especially Tyrantrum, as he was now too tall to ram his snout into her leg for attention and had to settle for thrashing his tail about in the snow. Pyroar and Arcanine were equally tentative about brushing against even her good arm for fear of causing her undue pain.

Really, Anna was too grateful to see them all healthy to be upset over the unnecessary coddling.

"I'm so glad you guys are okay." She used her good arm to hug and pet each of her Pokémon, blinking back tears. "I'm so sorry for rushing you guys into that. I should've waited, given you guys a bit more time to train and acclimate. I'll do better next time, I promise."

Given the adorable glares sent her way, not one member of her team believed she was at fault for their loss. If anything, they looked more determined than ever to win.

"Anna! Hey!" Kristoff's voice rang out, causing Anna to turn her gaze towards the fenceline that lead towards the Gym. Astride a galloping Sven, the blond was making short work of closing the distance, a wide smile on his face. "Come on!"

"What's going on?" The redhead raised a brow, stepping back as Sven drew up to a sudden halt in front of her.

"Elsa's holding a meeting in front of the Gym! You gotta see this; the whole town is there! Come on!"

The redhead laughed, amused by the blond's enthusiasm that seemed equally matched by his Sawsbuck. Following Sven as he pranced ahead- obviously wanting to go faster than the redhead was capable of moving- Anna and her team made their way towards the Gym. Bulda had been quite clear about avoiding any jostling movements, so that meant running was out despite the itch to match Sven's stride. However, after a few more steps, Arcanine lowered himself to the ground in front of Anna while Pyroar sent a warning glare at Sven.

After an affectionate roll of her eyes, Anna swung a leg over Arcanine, settling onto his back while cradling her arm, just in case. Olaf flapped his way up in front of her while Vulpix and Eevee found a comfortable spot on Pyroar's back. Tyrantrum looked smug as he kept stride with the two once they set off again and the redhead had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud as the rest of her team kept glancing at him. Either they still weren't accustomed to his sudden height- which was possible- or they were resisting teasing him about his smugness over the fact- which was equally possible.

It would take some getting used to, she supposed, but Tyantrum seemed much calmer now that they were all relatively safe; she worried he would recklessly attack if put in another double battle with Vulpix or Eevee in that over-protective way of his. While the three smaller Pokémon had always teased each other when they played together, it was like watching siblings together, and she didn't doubt Tyrantrum's big brother instinct grew proportionally to himself.

"There they are!" Kristoff called, pulling Anna's attention to the Gym in the distance.

Sure enough, the entire town _had_ turned out for whatever announcement Elsa had planned, Pokémon included. It was the largest gathering of people she'd witnessed during her relatively extended stay in the small mountain town. She could make out Marshmallow's towering frame above it all and urged Arcanine forward a little quicker as the dull roar of chatter grew louder. Under Kristoff's direction, Sven veered slightly to the side and dropped back, so they could approach side-by-side.

"What's the announcement about anyway? This isn't, like, some sort of street justice for Hans, right?"

"What? No, why would you think that?" The blond's face scrunched up momentarily before he shook his head. "Don't worry about Hans right now; Elsa can explain what happened to him later. Right now, we're celebrating!"

"Celebrating what?"

Before he could try to reply, they passed some sort of invisible barrier and the crowd started cheering. Not loudly, exactly, seeing as they _were_ in snow capped mountains, but enough for Anna to get the distinct impression they were cheering for _her_, especially once Kristoff and Sven dropped back even further, so Anna could enter the crowd unescorted. Arcanine, Pyroar, and Tyrantrum continued forward through the throng, waved on by the assembled citizens, until Anna and her team stood before Elsa, surrounded by her own team. Kyurem was curiously absent from the assembled party, though she doubted many knew about the ice dragon.

Sliding off Arcanine's back, Anna went to stand beside Elsa like the blonde indicated, turning to face the assembled crowd with a slightly nervous smile. It felt weird to be the center of attention, though she could tell her entire team had no problem whatsoever; with Elsa on her uninjured side, the redhead's Pokémon were to her right, Olaf standing tall in the front with Eevee and Vulpix sitting on either side, Arcanine and Pyroar behind them. Towering over the other five, Tyrantrum stood behind Olaf, his tail twitching slightly as he watched Hans' dragon types out of the corner of his eye.

"Citizens of Arendelle City!" Elsa began in a strong voice that carried over the din and demanded silence. An elderly man carefully made his way to stand on Elsa's other side as she spoke, using a cane to assist his movements. "Allow me to formally introduce Miss Anna Anderson, a trainer from Kanto. She challenged me yesterday for the Blizzard Badge but withdrew her challenge prior to finishing the battle out of concern for her Pokémon." A smattering of applause and cheers filled the gap as Elsa paused and Anna could feel her cheeks burning in response. "Before we could leave and attend to our respective teams, however, a new challenger broke into the Gym and viciously attempted to attack myself and my Pokémon in a blatant show of disrespect to the highly held traditions of sportsmanship." A few angry grumbles rippled through the crowd. Apparently, this wasn't the first everyone was hearing of Hans' antics, but they were no more pleased about it judging by the quick glares sent towards his Pokémon. "Miss Anderson put her own life in danger to protect Kristoff, myself, my Pokémon, and the integrity of the Blizzard Badge, and was injured in the process." Elsa glanced at her briefly, eyes drawn to the sling around her neck, before continuing. "The Blizzard Badge has always symbolized the insurmountable, a challenge to trainer and Pokémon alike, one that can _only_ be overcome by a team that works together and trusts without question." She produced a badge from her jacket, one that looked almost exactly like Elsa's Gym Leader Badge, except without the scratch. "Even the harshest blizzard pales in comparison to the strength of the bond between a trainer and their Pokémon. It is my honor to hereby award Miss Andersen the Blizzard Badge."

Elsa turned to her, holding the badge out as the crowd started cheering. Anna just stared for a moment.

"B-but... we didn't win." Her gaze flicked to the badge, then up to Elsa's shining blue eyes.

Elsa shook her head with the widest smile Anna had seen on the blonde's lips. "There's more than one way to win a badge, Anna. That you said 'we' instead of 'I' just confirms that this is the right decision."

The redhead's gaze fell to the badge in Elsa's outstretched hand and reached forward to take it, retracting her hand a fraction before even making it halfway as she noticed the coloring of the badge itself.

"huh, I always thought it had a gold backing." Anna's chuckled nervously, shrugging her good shoulder. "I mean, that's the image posted all over the region, a blue stone with a gold back."

"I suppose it isn't inaccurate. Before Lucius took over the Gym and the Blizzard Badge evolved into the legend it is today, the gold back version of the badge was awarded to those who beat the Gym Leader." Elsa indicated the badge in her hand. "However, the current Gym Leader could award a silver back version, like this one, to any challenger deemed capable of taking over the Gym."

"Wait, I don't want to take your place!" She looked up again, worry coloring her tone. "You're an _excellent_ Gym Leader, Miss Elsa, I really meant that! I don't think- I mean, I'm just not... crap."

A hand on her shoulder stemmed the tide of whatever Anna was _trying_ to say.

"Calm down, Anna." Elsa smiled. "The silver backed version _is_ for the Gym Leaders and candidates exclusively, but it's not a requirement you take the position. It's recognition." Carefully taking Anna by the wrist, Elsa turned her hand over and placed the badge in her palm. "Gym Leaders are responsible for testing those who challenge them and awarding Badges to those who have proven themselves. When you protected us from harm, you effectively prevented Hans from taking the badge without truly earning it, just as a Gym Leader would." From her pocket, Elsa produced her own version of the Blizzard Badge, with a cut in the stone that Anna recognized as identical to the one in the Gym, holding her hand beside the redhead so both badges could be seen. She glanced at the chattering crowd, ducking her head and continuing in a softer tone. "This makes us even, Anna; I saved you and your Pokémon, and you returned the favor. Let this show us as equals. That means no more 'Miss Elsa'. Just Elsa."

Anna nodded dumbly, noting belatedly that Adgar, Idunn, Glaceon, and Glalie were all carefully nudging her good side in congratulations, grumbling and growling encouragingly. Slowly, a wide smile spread over her face as it really registered, turning back to her own team.

"We did it, guys!" All six of her Pokémon let out a cry, squirming in place as each tried to resist mobbing their beloved trainer.

"As a bearer of the Blizzard Badge, Miss Andersen is an official member of Arendelle City." The older man standing beside Elsa nodded as he spoke, smiling the whole while. "As a member of our esteemed and close knit community, please help her feel appropriately welcomed."

And just like that, people surged forth, introducing themselves one-by-one but so quickly that Anna could barely process any of the information. Each shook her hand or lightly clapped her on her left shoulder, offering their praise, some even petting her Pokémon as well.

Well, at least this confirmed that the people here _were_ friendly.

As the group began to disperse, Elsa turned her attention to her Swampert and Manectric. "Adgar? Idunn? How are you two feeling? Not too cold?"

Both Pokémon nodded, Adgar rearing back onto his hind legs to throw his arms around the blonde while Idunn pressed up against her legs. Anna tried to hide her smile behind one hand but found the sight absolutely adorable.

"Hey Olaf, I think they like warm hugs, too!" Anna prodded, encouraging her team to interact with Elsa's. The last thing she wanted was for any of her Pokémon to hold a grudge; she wasn't overly competitive herself, but some of her companions certainly could be. To her relief, Olaf quickly waddled over and threw his wings around Adgar's leg, followed by the rest of Anna's team. The redhead kept an especially close eye on Tyrantrum but found he was actually behaving rather well, though his eyes were trained on Olaf, Eevee, and Vulpix. "I'm glad you guys are getting along."

"I don't think Arendelle City could survive another Pokémon rivalry." Elsa stepped away as her team began playing with Anna's in the snow, a smile on her lips. "Kristoff's house barely makes it through the feuding between Sven and Glaceon."

"Knowing my luck, if one were to develop, it would be between Marshmallow and Tyrantrum. Mass destruction." She sighed, smiling as Elsa chuckled.

The two women stood for a few minutes, fondly watching their companions.

As Glalie hovered around Tyrantrum's head, dodging the dragon's playfully snapping jaws, Arcanine, Pyroar, Idunn, and Eevee chased each other through the snow, Vulpix carefully climbed her way to Adgar's head, and Olaf and Marshmallow watched them all while occasionally conversing with each other. "So, do you keep, uh, Adgar and Idunn in their pokéballs to keep them a secret or because they don't like the cold?"

"A little bit of both." The blonde turned towards her. "I usually leave them in my living quarters so they can be comfortable."

Anna raised a brow. "Living quarters? You mean your house?"

"Not exactly." Elsa nodded towards the Gym. "Behind the banner in the Gym's arena is a passage to a set of rooms reserved for the Gym Leader that were built into the building originally. That's how Kristoff was able to slip away without Hans noticing; he just ducked back behind the banner while I was sending out Kyurem."

"That's pretty cool!" The redhead tilted her head slightly. "Y'know, I never really thought about where Gym Leaders live. The only time I ever see them is in their respective Gyms, aside from the random encounter elsewhere, but those are pretty rare."

"Some Gyms do it, especially the ones built a few decades ago. It just seemed practical at the time. I can't complain."

"What about Kyurem?"

"I always carry him with me." Elsa brushed her jacket back to reveal the premier ball in question. "I've never quite understood what happens to Pokémon once they enter the pokéballs, but Kyurem retains his awareness and could easily release himself if the necessity arises." She smirked. "Any other questions?"

"Give me a minute and I'll think of more," Anna replied jokingly.

"Well, in the brief lull I'm afforded, may I ask a question of my own?" At the redhead's nod, Elsa turned to look at her, smile faltering only slightly. "Who is Olaf named for?"

She blinked, genuinely surprised by the question. "Uh, no one, actually. I just kept throwing out names until he picked one he liked." Anna motioned towards the playing Pokémon. "That's just how I've raised all of them. Arcanine wanted to evolve, but Eevee and Vulpix didn't. Tyrantrum's been ready to evolve for a while but always held back for some reason until yesterday. I let them make those decisions themselves." She noticed the shift in the blonde's posture, tension building in her shoulders as they watched the Pokémon play. "Are Adgar and Idunn named for your parents?"

Elsa nodded. "How'd you know?"

"Your body language."

"You're very perceptive."

"That's something I've never heard before," she replied, laughing softly.

"Oh? You can't discern what everyone's thinking?" Elsa flashed her a small grin. "Only me?"

"Pretty much, though I'm still learning." Anna winced slightly at her way-too-honest answer. "I mean, you're a hard person to read, so it's taking some time."

Smooth. Real smooth.

The blonde laughed, gently nudging her good shoulder. "And some very close observation, I take it."

Somehow, she managed to clamp down on her immediate response, instead shrugging and adjusting the strap of her sling. This thing was going to be a pain to wear for the next few weeks, especially if she wanted to do anything while wearing it.

Which brought her mind back to her next course of action. Going down the mountain in a sling was less than ideal, of course, but it would take a good two months to get across the region to the island where the Pokémon League was held. The sooner they got there, the quicker they could defeat the Elite Four and collect the prize. Surely that would be good enough to start up in the mountain town with no problems, maybe even a nice nest egg on the side for emergencies. For a region with a notorious Gym, the Yensid Elite Four weren't slouches either, and it may take more than one shot at defeating all four. It would make sense to stock up that night and leave the following morning, to ensure she missed the blizzards on the way back; she definitely didn't want to try coming back to Arendelle City in the winter.

"Anna, are you alright?" Elsa furrowed her brows, concern flashing in her eyes.

The redhead smiled, nodding. "Yeah, just thinking about the next step in my journey. I'll probably be heading out tomorrow morning."

The other woman nodded once, turning to watch their Pokémon with a frown. Anna was about to ask her if she was alright when she spoke up, taking her by surprise. "Do you have to leave so soon?"

It would be best, all things considered. It would take weeks for her arm to heal and that was really her main concern about heading out so soon.

But then Elsa's frown deepened and the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"I suppose I could stay a few days." Crap. She was ready to amend her statement- a day or two, at most- when Elsa smiled wider than ever before, the words lodging in her throat and morphing into something else entirely. "S-so long as Kristoff doesn't mind."

"I'm sure he won't."

Vulpix and Eevee suddenly dashed towards them, Glaceon not far behind. Apparently, Tyrantrum and Adgar decided to have a bit of a contest of strength, the dragon trying to push his opponent back while Swampert met him with equal force. Idunn was watching with Arcanine and Pyroar, pacing slightly between the fire types. Marshmallow stood close, as if to push one or the other over in the event the contest became too much, while Olaf kept an eye on each competitor's progress.

Just when it looked like neither would gain any ground, Adgar dropped one arm and slid away, allowing Tyrantrum's exertion to propel the dragon forward and head first into a snow bank, much to the amusement of the onlookers.

"Seven feet tall and you're still a little goober." Anna laughed, walking over to him and running her hand along his snout as he fumbled back to his feet. "Don't let it get to you, buddy. It's all in good fun."

Tyrantrum got up, growling softly as he gently nudged her before turning his attention back to Adgar. Surprisingly, the Swampert wrapped the dragon up in a hug rather than giving Tyrantrum a hard time and the two seemed to be over their temporary contest. Anna smiled, gingerly adjusting her sling as she watched them rejoin the others.

She turned at the sound of barely restrained laughter, finding Elsa fighting to keep her composure as Eevee and Vulpix took turns nosing around her hair and ears while Glaceon watched from beside his trainer, apparently amused. Anna nearly dropped to the ground laughing- they used to do that to her all the time until they got used to her scent, though they never broke the habit of climbing onto her shoulders- but managed to keep herself calm, not bothering to divert her gaze from the scene as one of the Pokémon pressed against her, requesting attention. Anna ran her hand along the fur for a few moments as she watched her Pokémon nuzzle into Elsa's neck before realizing it was too short to be Arcanine and too sleek to be Pyroar. A quick glance proved that it was Idunn she was petting. Adgar joined them a moment later, nudging her with his head until she switched her attention to him, which Idunn didn't appreciate.

"Sorry guys, I've only got one good arm! You're going to have to take turns." Anna blinked, looking over her shoulder as Glaceon managed to climb up her back and rest on her good shoulder. "Now you want a turn, huh?" Glalie hovered over to her the moment she started scratching under Glaceon's chin and Marshmallow started towards her, prompting the redhead to request assistance. "Uh, Elsa? Could I get a little help over here?"

"I'm afraid you're on your own," Elsa replied. "I'm a bit indisposed."

Anna turned her head and couldn't hold back the laughter this time. Apparently, while Elsa's team was busy demanding Anna's attention, her team was doing the same to the blonde. Vulpix and Eevee were still on her shoulder, with Arcanine and Pyroar sitting on either side, Tyrantrum behind her, and Olaf practically attached to one leg.

Her amusement was cut off rather abruptly when Marshmallow gently scooped her into his arms, sitting down so Adgar and Idunn could still get close by climbing onto his thighs. Though the affectionate display was certainly colder than she was used to, Anna accepted it all the same, smiling at Elsa's Pokémon.

Okay, staying for a few days would probably be worth it. Especially after Arcanine, Pyroar, and Tyrantrum decided licking the blonde would be an excellent way to show how much they liked her, causing Elsa to sputter admonishments while Anna fought to keep from laughing too hard and jostling her shoulder.

"Um... did I miss something?" Kristoff raised a brow as he and Sven approached, looking between Elsa and Anna surrounded by the other's Pokémon.

The redhead shot him a smile. "Nope! Just good ol' bonding going on! Nothing to be alarmed about!"

He shot her a wry grin. "I thought you were supposed to bond with _your own_ Pokémon?"

Anna snuck a glance towards Elsa, who hadn't stopped running her hands through Arcanine's and Pyroar's fur, and smiled.

* * *

Later, as the sun began to dip low on the horizon, Anna realized she couldn't sleep. Every time she tried laying down, the pain in her shoulder suddenly shot through her whole body. Kristoff had warned her about it and mentioned his mother offering pain medicine, but the redhead had turned down the offer, thinking she could just grin and bear it. Then she actually tried catching a nap before dinner and realized that no, it wouldn't be nearly that easy.

Olaf sat on the bed, watching worriedly as she paced the room.

"I'm not going to be able to get any rest." She admitted, sighing as she glanced out of the window. From the view, she could just make out the Gym and the towering figure leaving it, heading towards the route.

Well, it was something to do.

"Come on, Olaf, let's go!" Anna threw open the door, moving as quickly as she could without aggravating her injury. The moment she was outside, she brought out Arcanine, helping Olaf into her lap and setting him towards the route leading to Glowerhaven. They arrived just as Elsa and her team were about to leave, the redhead calling out at an appropriate volume to catch the blonde's attention without causing an avalanche. "Mi- Elsa! Wait up!"

Marshmallow came to a stop, turning so Elsa could look at Anna straight on rather than over her shoulder, with Glalie and Glaceon halting as well to wait for their trainer. As soon as she was close enough, the blonde favored her with a smile.

"Come to see us off?"

Anna reached up and adjusted her scarf as she craned her neck to meet Elsa's gaze. "Actually, can I join you tonight?"

"Join me?" Elsa furrowed her brows. "Anna, you still need your rest-"

"I'm not tired though," she lied, forcing a small grin. "All this excitement has me wound up a bit. I just thought... I dunno, I could put that energy to use helping you."

The blonde hesitated. "It's going to get cold."

"Arcanine will keep me warm." Anna ran her hand through his fur, prompting a reassuring bark as steam rose from his body.

"It might take all night."

"That's fine."

Elsa regarded her a moment before nodding slowly. "Just tell me if you start to get cold or tired, okay?"

Anna smiled, encouraging Arcanine to follow Marshmallow as they started down the route, Glalie lifting high into the air while Glaceon went on ahead, practically disappearing into the snow.

* * *

She wasn't sure at which point, exactly, she'd fallen asleep while traveling the route, but Anna came to as the morning sun began to rise, the golden rays reflecting off the snowy mountainside and rousing her from slumber. By some miracle, she'd managed to stay on Arcanine's back, his steady pace apparently gentle enough not to knock her off. She was tempted to keep her eyes closed and just doze lightly until she heard Olaf chattering somewhere behind her and opened her eyes fully to realize a few things.

It was no miracle that kept Anna hand't fallen to the snow; it was Elsa. At some point, the blonde must've realized she was having trouble staying awake and traded her perch on Marshmallow's shoulder for a seat behind her on Arcanine's back, wrapping her arms around the redhead and tangling both hands in his fur to function as a sort of loose restraint. Now that she was paying attention, Anna noticed she was actually slumped back, resting against the other woman.

She immediately felt bad; being used as a pillow was no doubt uncomfortable and probably awkward for the blonde.

"I'm sorry, Elsa," she said, her voice thick from sleep and the cold air. "I didn't mean to fall asleep, I promise."

"I told you that you still needed your rest," she replied a bit coldly, but her following words were spoken with a much softer tone that implied she'd been joking. "But I'm just glad Olaf got my attention before you fell off."

"Still-"

"Shush." Elsa chuckled, speaking softly. "I'm actually a little glad you fell asleep. The last time I came up this trail with you unconscious, I wasn't sure if I'd made it in time. You were cold and stiff and... it's... it's nice to replace that memory with a better one."

Anna remained quiet for a few moments. Part of her was imagining how Elsa must've felt, bringing her to Arendelle City through a blizzard, unsure if she'd even managed to do any good. However, most of her mind was dedicated to wondering when was the last time someone held her like this? Not just hugged her hello or goodbye, but really held her, made her feel safe? She couldn't remember but it felt really nice, amazing even. She was actually mentally kicking herself for not being _conscious_ for the majority of it. Rather than linger much longer and make things awkward, the redhead opted to make light of the situation. "Even if it meant using you as a pillow?"

"Absolutely. You snore, by the way."

Anna blushed while Elsa laughed, apparently amused when she ducked her head in embarrassment. Well, that kinda backfired.

Except it really didn't.

As they crossed the threshold from the route into Arendelle City, Elsa used her knees to steer Arcanine towards Kristoff's.

"Wait, I was actually going to head over to the inn. I need to call my parents and Professor Thatch." Anna protested, using her knees to turn Arcanine towards the other side of town.

"No, you _need_ rest. You can call them when you wake up," Elsa firmly replied, sending Arcanine back the other direction.

"I've slept long enough! I can take a nap after I call them." Anna stubbornly held her ground, digging her knee into Arcanine's side again.

Which was the wrong thing to do. Fed up with the conflicting orders- and being nudged in the ribs one too many times- Arcanine dropped his haunches to the ground, effectively sending Anna falling back into Elsa, knocking the blonde to the ground with the redhead on top of her. Luckily, they landed in the snow, but Anna could tell by the way Elsa drew in her next breath that she'd been winded by the abrupt unseating, and the sudden pain in her shoulder was a pretty sharp reminder that she wasn't healed quite yet. She instantly shot a reproachful glare at Arcanine, who seemed to have forgotten about Anna's shoulder and whined in apology, lowering himself to the ground and crawling towards them with his tail practically tucked between his legs.

"Before... you even try... don't apologize..." Elsa managed, wheezing slightly beneath Anna. "If I could... I'd be laughing..."

Anna shook her head, putting her left hand on Arcanine's muzzle. "Sorry for confusing you, buddy, but please don't do that again."

Arcanine whined again before Olaf suddenly appeared, squawking out a lengthy tirade while the others watched, their concern turning to relief as they noted neither trainer was injured from their fall.

"I think it's official. I'm not a fire type trainer; I just train goobers. I'm a goober type trainer." Anna sighed, smiling when she heard Elsa laugh softly beneath her, no longer fighting to breathe.

"And now, I'm officially your pillow."

"A really comfy pillow." Anna admitted, not particularly caring how the blonde took the comment. Carefully, Anna rolled onto her good side and off of Elsa, both women helping the other to their feet and brushing the snow from their clothes. Elsa helped Anna, gently brushing snow away from the places she couldn't reach. "Thanks."

"Glad I could help." Elsa scanned each of her Pokémon and Anna's as well, checking for any signs of distress, before turning her attention back to the redhead. "I understand you may feel rested, but I highly recommend you try to get some more sleep."

The redhead sighed. "Okay, fine. If you insist."

"I do." The other woman shrugged, smiling. "One of us has to be concerned about your well being." She turned towards the Gym, Marshmallow, Glalie, and Glaceon proceeding ahead of her. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Good night, Elsa." She waved before turning around and heading towards Kristoff's, Arcanine and Olaf falling into step beside her. Once they were far enough away, she reached over and tugged on the large canine's ear, earning a yelp that was born more of surprise than actual pain. "Next time you do that, I'm giving you a bath! You could've really hurt Elsa!"

Arcanine made his big, watery 'I'm sorry' face at her while she just rolled her eyes. She wasn't mad at him, since Elsa seemed to be okay, and ran a hand through his fur to show she wasn't holding the incident against him. Still, she had to be firm, especially with her fire types; some of them tended to get carried away if she didn't remind them to be on their best behavior.

* * *

Anna waited for the line to connect, staring blankly at the phone's video screen. She still hadn't figured out a good way to word her questions and concerns but, well, she figured her tendency to ramble would manage to fix the problem for her. That's how things usually worked, anyway.

"Hey, come on- would you all just stop- seriously- ow! Oh, hey Anna!" The redhead's attention was jerked back to the screen as Professor Milo Thatch appeared, absolutely swarmed by Pokémon. Although it was tough to be sure, she was certain over half of them were hers, despite there being many trainers from her hometown who sent their companions to live with the Professor. "What can I- seriously, knock it off! Geez- can I help you with?"

Anna laughed. "Is everything okay Professor?"

He grunted as he somehow managed to dislodge a Corphish from his tie, resettling his glasses on the bridge of his nose from where they'd been knocked askew. "Fine, just fine. I accidentally tickled a Roselia and it hit me with Sweet Scent. I'm suddenly incredibly popular."

Even Olaf found that amusing, sitting on the counter by the phone and chirping happily.

"I hear Olaf in a good mood. I assume that means everything's going okay?"

"Excellent, actually. We finally found a place to call home." Anna smiled, looking over her shoulder and through the inn's front windows. She could just barely make out the Gym's roof in the distance. "I guess it kinda ties in with what I wanted to talk about."

"Well, fire away." Anna nodded, explaining everything Kristoff had told her about Arendelle City's lack of a Pokémon expert and how trainers got their starters. At the end, he furrowed his brows, pushing his glasses up again. "And I'm guessing you want to help?"

"Yeah, but I don't really think I have the qualifications to become a professor or anything. All I can really do is give some of my Pokémon a chance to be someone else's companion. I'm not really sure how many I have, though..."

Professor Thatch laughed, shaking his head. "Okay, _that_ part, you're more than covered."

"Really?"

"Anna, you've been more places than most people who leave here, _combined_. I actually just did an inventory the other day; right now, I have a total of seven hundred and twenty-nine here that belong to you." He smiled. "You have the highest completion rating out of all the people I've given a starter Pokémon to, Anna! You've really helped my research come a long way!"

For her part, Anna was still trying to process that number. Over _seven hundred_? "Um, Professor, are you _sure_ those are all mine?"

"Of course! Though, you haven't exactly _caught_ that many." The Professor scratched his head. "On the plus side, I learned _a lot_ about Pokémon breeding patterns in the process. You've also got about thirty-nine eggs registered in your name that haven't hatched yet." He glanced away from the screen, squinted, then turned his attention back to her with a wry grin. "Okay, make that an even forty. Your Walrein just laid another egg."

"I have a Walrein?"

"She was a Sealeo when you sent her to me, evolved... last month, I think?" He shook his head. "You should really call more often. A lot of the ones you've sent me have evolved. Oh, and that stone you sent me from Sinnoh? It's apparently called a Dusk Stone. Your Doublade picked it up and evolved into an Aegislash last week, I think."

Anna frowned, as much at the mention of Sinnoh as at the thought that the Pokémon she'd captured over the years had made such progress and she wasn't even aware. She was their trainer!

"Hey, buck up, Anna. You said yourself that you realize you can't spend as much time as you'd like with all of them; at least you've found a way to get these Pokémon a trainer who will be _able_ to spend time with them!" He laughed again. "I mean, look at me! I spend time with these Pokémon every day and I can't keep up with all of them! That's why I started helping trainers start their journey, too." He shrugged. "I like to think of it as part of the evolution of a trainer."

"I guess you have a point. I hope I can find good trainers for all of them." She thought back on the most memorable moments with the Pokémon she hadn't seen in a while, an almost nonstop stream of memories flowing back to her. "Most of them. Some of them."

Professor Thatch laughed and shook his head. "Hey, listen, about the other thing- becoming a Pokémon expert?" He waited until Anna's attention was focused on him. "I can't really help you on that front, because it requires a degree from the regional university. But! I have the next best thing. Remember this?" He held up a red object that she instantly recognized; she'd sent the Pokédex back to him after she left Johto, seeing as it was broken during a very long escape from a stampeding herd of Donphan. "I've been updating it with all the information I've learned from studying your Pokémon. I'll send it to Arendelle City immediately so it should be there by the time you return from challenging the Elite Four."

"That's awesome, Professor!" Anna smiled. "I'm sure that'll help... but what about the habitats?"

"One step ahead of you. I've learned a thing or two over the years. You might want to write some of this down." Anna grabbed the pen next to Olaf while the Delibird held the paper still, seeing as her arm was still functionally useless. "Now, first you're going to need..."

* * *

Later that day, after working out a few of the measurements with Kristoff's help- apparently, he'd spent more time inside the Gym than anyone in town, except Elsa- Anna set out again looking for the Gym Leader. Seeing as the design for most of the habitats would require a lot of space, access to the Gym seemed a necessity, so she would have to talk things over before setting any of the ideas in stone. Kristoff had already volunteered to at least start on the habitats in her absence, which would go a long way in getting her Pokémon transferred from Professor Thatch's to Arendelle City. The blond was too excited for words at the prospect of meeting hundreds of Pokémon he'd never even seen before and was certain the entire town would pitch in once they heard about the plans.

As she rounded the corner with her team around her- it seemed only fair to give them the chance to walk around while they could- Anna caught sight of a small group huddled around the front of the Gym.

"Wonder what's going on down there." She muttered, picking up the pace slightly though Olaf seemed to be glaring at her, as if promising he'd peck her if she started moving too fast for his liking.

As she got closer, she could make out the forms of Hans' team of dragons hiding behind Marshmallow, Glaceon, and Glalie, though Adgar and Idunn were nowhere to be found. Officer Jenny's Mamoswine was standing next to his trainer and wearing a special saddle, bearing none other than the 'Dragon Master' himself strapped into it, hands cuffed and chained to the pommel. Given the circumstances of his departure, he looked appropriately disgraced, eyes focused on nothing in particular. Before Anna could reach them, Officer Jenny and Mamoswine set off, a few others walking with her, accompanied by Beartics and Avaluggs.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say." Someone grumbled as the crowd dispersed, most of the people heading towards the west side of town. The few who passed Anna offered her a smile and brief good morning, probably on their way out to the mines, but Anna's attention was focused on Elsa and an older man she recognized as the Mayor.

"With that taken care of, we just have to figure out what to do with Hans' Pokémon." The blonde sighed, putting a hand to her forehead and glancing at Anna as she approached, offering a small smile as way of greeting.

The older man- Pabbie something or other; he introduced himself very quickly after she was awarded the badge- nodded gravely. "With his trainer's ID stripped, these Pokémon no longer have a trainer. Releasing them is our only option."

"But in this climate?" Elsa's brows furrowed in concern, her gaze drifting to Olaf. Anna wasn't sure if the action was conscious on the blonde's part or not.

"Who could train them?" Pabbie shook his head. "Any ice type we could raise, but dragons? They're awfully stubborn and reckless."

"They're not that different from any other Pokémon," Anna said, stepping around Elsa to approach the group still cowering in the snow. She raised her hand. "See?"

She approached Dragonite first, seeing as she'd at least seen him outside of a battle before. Taking the hint, the bipedal dragon type edged forward, lowering his head until Anna could place her hand on his snout.

"You're a good boy, aren't you?" The Dragonite grumbled sweetly, shrinking back only at a warning growl from Tyrantrum and a quiet squawk from Olaf. "Oh, shush, you two. Stop being mean!" She shot over her shoulder, turning a warm smile on the Dragonite. "Don't mind them; they're just jealous for no reason."

"So, you believe these Pokémon will accept new trainers?" Pabbie shuffled up beside Anna, still eyeing the dragons warily.

"They will." Elsa appeared on Anna's other side, reaching out to gently pet the Salamence. "Kyurem spoke with them after they were healed. Much like Olaf, they're wary of humans but they want to _try _giving another trainer a chance." She sighed. "Except Empoleon; he went with Hans and Officer Jenny to Glowerhaven."

"He wouldn't accept a new trainer?" Anna's shoulder slumped slightly as Elsa shook her head. She figured as much honestly; even if she lost her mind and started doing horrible things, she was certain Olaf and the others would continue following her. Some Pokémon just bonded with their trainers more solidly than others.

Pabbie scratched his chin. "Very well. A few of the teenagers have spoken of setting out into the world on a Pokémon journey. Perhaps a few will be brave enough to take one of these dragons as their starter."

"Speaking of journey, I suppose we'll have to get going soon." She frowned, furrowing her brows as she worked out the math in her head again. The slight delay of a few days wasn't detrimental but... well, she really should get going. There was a part of her brain nagging about getting back as quickly as possible. Now that 'home' was a solid place rather than some abstract idea, she felt as though putting things off would somehow make it disappear, and she was growing attached to the place... and the people. "Probably tomorrow, now that I think about it."

Elsa frowned, turning her attention to the redhead. "You're really leaving so soon?"

"To challenge the Elite Four, remember?" Anna replied, focusing on petting beneath Dragonite's jaw. "Olaf and I already decided that this is the place we've been looking for all this time. Now, I just need to head to the League, collect the winnings, and come back to... set up shop, I guess." She pulled her hand away, stepping around Dragonite to pay Garchomp some much needed attention. "I already talked to Professor Thatch, the expert from my hometown. He helped me work out some ideas for climate controlled habitats. I apparently have a lot of Pokémon from around the world, but I can catch some more from this region so kids here have a really wide selection for their starter. Plus, I haven't seen so many of them in so long, and I just-" She sighed, cutting herself off before she could dig her hole any deeper.

"I have to finish this. I _want_ to finish this," Anna said, resolute in her decision. She couldn't keep depending on Kristoff's charity; she needed her own means to establish and support herself in Arendelle. "I want to come home."

Surprisingly, it was Pabbie who filled the sudden silence.

"If you feel you must, we won't stop you." Pabbie started towards the west side of town. "I'll let everyone know and we'll see you off tomorrow morning."

Left alone with the Pokémon and Elsa, Anna focused on giving Garchomp attention, and Haxorus after him. Elsa, meanwhile, had moved on to Druddigon. The redhead was acutely aware of the tension in the other woman's shoulders, biting her lips as she tried to think of something to say. Of course, she was beaten to the punch.

"You don't have to leave, you know." Elsa's voice cut into the cold morning air. "Money isn't a big thing around here. We work a lot on barter anyway."

The redhead turned, looking in direction of the Gym Leader's voice, slightly confused.

"I mean, I still haven't given you the prize money from winning the Blizzard Badge. Glowerhaven sends us a percentage of their profits, since we're the reason they drum up so much business, and some of it gets set aside for any challengers who manage to win the badge. Maybe that'll be enough for you to make your start here."

Anna moved around the dragons until she could see Elsa, who was keeping all her attention focused on Druddigon.

"Stuff's not really too expensive around here, anyway. We're pretty self sufficient and the community comes together, helps each other out. I might be the most active member when it comes to community bonding functions but I-"

"Elsa?" Anna waited until the blonde went stock still, not expecting her to turn around. "I appreciate your offer, but you of all people should understand this. This is _my_ journey and I have to see it through. I don't want to be a burden on anyone-"

"You're not being a burden. Kristoff doesn't mind having a housemate."

"Did you actually ask him that?"

"He hasn't complained."

"I don't like imposing."

"Then come stay with me." Elsa's shoulders hitched a little higher, though her voice remained steady. "The Gym Leader quarters are really too big for just one person. You could- _would_ have your own room, as much space as you want, I don't really use most of the rooms, it wouldn't be a problem-"

Anna sighed. "Elsa, what's this really about? Do you think..." She reached up to idly play with one of her braids. "Do you think I can't beat the Elite Four? Is that why you don't want me challenging them?"

"It has nothing to do with that," the blonde replied instantly, sounding genuinely surprised by the suggestion.

"Then what?"

Elsa's hands went still, Druddigon grumbling softly, as if sensing the blonde's unease. Anna was about to close the distance and prompt an answer when something caught her ear.

"_She _likes_ you, Human._" The redhead started, glancing around to confirm no one else had crept up on them before recognizing Kyurem's voice. "_She's similar to your Delibird companion, to the dragons before you; the humans she trusts are a limited group, a group you've joined without even realizing it, as you have done with most of your companions. She doesn't want you to leave because she'll miss you and she doesn't truly believe you'll come back. She's scared._"

Anna blinked, watching Elsa's back as she continued rubbing along Druddigon's jaw.

"_She can't hear me at this moment. I speak only to you, Human. I chose her as my trainer in part due to her own reluctance in trusting others. But it comes at a price._"

Finally, Elsa turned to look at her, the weight of the apparent silence between them too much to bear any longer. She could see it in those eyes, how Elsa was struggling to say just the right thing and failing to find the words.

"_I will not ask you to stay. I merely ask that you give her reason to believe you_ will _come back... if that truly is your intention._"

"It's just that..." Elsa's voice seemed to die in her throat, prompting her to attempt to clear it, coughing into one hand.

She opened her mouth to try again but Anna stepped closer, wrapping her good arm around the blonde. It was a tad bit painful but she was willing to risk Bulda's wrath for this.

"I know you care, Elsa, but this is something I _have_ to do," the redhead said softly, smiling as arms wrapped around her waist. "I promise I'll come back as soon as possible. Six months at the most. I can even call you at every city there and back with a phone, if it'll help." She drew back just enough to meet the blonde's gaze. "I _will_ come back, and not just for Olaf's sake, either." She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks but opted to ignore it. "I'd like to think that there's a connection between us, Elsa, one that formed when we first met, one I can feel in my heart. It's going to pull me back here, to you, because it's just as strong as the one I share with Olaf that sent me on this journey to begin with- though obviously a little different. Am I making any sense?" Anna scrunched her nose and shook her head. "Whatever. My point is: I'm coming back for you, Elsa, I promise. And maybe I could room with you until I find a place of my own? If the offer's still open, of course."

"It'll remain open." Elsa nodded, though she didn't seem at all at ease and Kyurem wasn't providing her any more help. Words would only do so much, though, so Anna tried a different tactic.

"Good!" She broke the hug, smiling widely as she grabbed one of the blonde's hands and nodded towards the Gym. "Would you like to hear about some of the habitats I worked out? I'll need your approval since most of them tie into the Gym, in a way."

"Is one of them for fire types?" She raised a brow, hiding a laugh behind her hand when Anna rolled her eyes.

"Well, yeah, seeing as how I'm supposedly the cute, cuddly fire type trainer, I had to think of one that would play to my strengths!" The two started walking, encouraging the dragon types to follow along for lack of somewhere better to keep them for the time being. The arena would hold them fine, for now. Their respective teams were already heading towards the large double doors of the Gym, growling and grumbling amicably among themselves as they went. "I mean, you have all this ice and snow everywhere, so I think a little fire sanctuary isn't _too_ much to ask."

As Elsa laughed again, the redhead tried to wrap her head around everything. She'd barely spent a week in Arendelle City and, somehow, everything had turned around completely. For the first time in forever, she not only _believed_ there was an end to her journey, but she could _see_ it. It was in the snow and mountains surrounding her as much as it was in Elsa's laugh. Soon, this would be _home_ and that was a novelty that hadn't worn off yet. She'd traveled for so long, she'd almost forgotten how nice it was to just sit and talk for hours without worrying about where to go next or how to get there.

All that could wait until morning. In the moment, she just enjoyed her present company and planned for the future of her new home.

* * *

Author's Note: Um... yeah. Wrapping up soon. Just a short little story. Also, I suck at math (and yes, I was going to make the silly 'over 9000' joke initially), but the way I figure it, there's 721 Pokémon in the current canon and, like, 51 of them are either classified as Legendary or Mythical. Given Anna's level of skepticism in this story, it would be impractical to say she's ever encountered or captured any of the Legendary or Mythical Pokémon (unlike Elsa), so she doesn't have any of them stashed away at Thatch's. Most of the common ones (like motherfucking Zubat, omfg) she's saved from either natural disasters or just rotten luck while the rarer ones (most water types, seeing as those are pretty far away from snowy mountain peaks) she'd saved from poor circumstances (Team Rocket/Plasma/Flare/Aqua/Whatever, the circus, abandoned Pokémon, etc).

Oh, and question... _does it bug anyone else that all Pokémon come from eggs?_ Like, I get it, the game mechanic makes the most sense, but there are seriously no mammalian Pokémon? _Really!? Why the fuck are there Miltank then!? Who is the milk for!?_


	7. New Adventures Await

Disclaimer: Nope. Still own nothin'. Also, end.

* * *

Anna had never dreaded leaving a place.

At first, when she set out with only Olaf and Eevee, the bubbling determination of a girl on a mission had kept any bittersweet sensations at bay. Every time after that, she never stayed long enough to get attached, though she did find herself missing the locales from time to time. Still, there was nothing that tugged at her, drawing her back to a specific place.

But something tore at her when she got ready to leave Arendelle City. Sitting in the upstairs room at Kristoff's house, Anna had checked through her pack six times- _six times-_ before realizing that she wasn't actually looking for anything specific, except a reason to stall. It was weird and a bit silly but also... gratifying, in a way. She'd always looked forward to finding Olaf a home but she was still coming to terms with finding one for herself as well, a place she actually _wanted_ to come back to after everything was over. It actually made the thought of leaving a bit daunting and painful.

She could rationalize it, of course- up until today, the future concept of 'home' was a vague, shadowy place in the mountains with snow, filled with nameless, faceless people- but now that everything had a name, the details were cemented in her head, and there were things to _remember_ rather than _imagine_... well, accepting Elsa's offer to just living at the Gym and get by on bartering suddenly seemed a lot more appealing. If anyone could make it work, she could.

But that would be taking the easy way out.

It took a significant amount of willpower to leave Kristoff's home, casting one last look at the structure with a sad smile. It didn't look like much- the whole town didn't, in comparison to some of the places she'd been- but it somehow endeared itself to her without her even noticing. It was _really_ weird. But she had to go and complete the journey, just as she'd planned.

With Olaf beside her and the rest of her team nestled snugly on her belt, they made their way to the Gym, each step confident despite the dull pain in her chest- and her shoulder, but that was physical and easier to ignore.

"We'll be back soon," she said aloud, not entirely sure if she was reassuring Olaf or herself. "Six months, tops."

Olaf chirped merrily in response, patting at her leg with his wing.

A nervous smile worked its way onto her lips as the looming Gym in the distance became larger with every step. So, she had a destination _and_ a time limit. There was an end to her journey and it was making her... nervous and excited and relieved and worried, all the emotions swirling together to sit heavily in her gut.

Years building up to this hadn't prepared for the reality of being so close to the finish line.

Olaf pecked her hard in the leg, glowering at her until she stopped walking.

"I'm sorry, buddy, I just..." Anna sighed, kneeling down so she was eye level with the Delibird. "I'm scared, Olaf. Everything's so real now and I'm... a little overwhelmed."

Olaf waddled closer and threw his wings around her as best he could, giving her a hug. She returned the gesture with her good arm and a watery smile.

"Yeah, as long as we're together. You're right." She pulled back, the uneasiness from earlier buried under the excitement bubbling through her. "This isn't _just_ the end of our journey across the globe. It's the beginning of a whole new adventure here in Arendelle once we get back!"

Olaf chirped encouragingly, pleased with the turn around in her attitude. As cheery and determined as she typically was, even the redhead needed a push in the right direction from time to time. Thankfully, her Pokémon always knew when to give her that necessary motivation.

Setting off towards the Gym with renewed vigor, the duo made their way through the snow until the dull roar of the crowd gathered in front of the Gym met their ears. Anna could see Dragonite, Haxorus, and Garchomp standing at the edge of the crowd, each interacting with a different teenager who seemed too excited for words. She'd seen _that_ particular reaction too many times to mistake it for anything other than the wonderful excitement of a newly minted trainer bonding with their starter.

Maybe she never felt it herself- not in that exact way, anyway- but she could recognize it instantly and she was glad they took her suggestion to heart. It did worry her that she couldn't see Druddigon or Salamence but, she reasoned, they might be contained in a pokéball by Pabbie until someone else decides to start their journey.

Suddenly, Anna's attention was pulled away from the new trainers bonding with their Pokémon to note what she considered to be a rather strange sight: Kyurem was standing beside Marshmallow, his pupiless gaze raking over the crowd. For their part, no one seemed overly perturbed by the towering ice dragon but, Anna reasoned, they probably found a legendary ice dragon less disconcerting than any run-of-the-mill fire type, and no one had made a fuss about Vulpix, Arcanine, or Pyroar during her stay. Or maybe they were well aware of Elsa's premier ball and its occupant.

Then again, it was probably that they just weren't rattled easily as a general rule. One didn't make their home high in the mountains without a certain amount of grit.

As the redhead and Delibird made it to the outside edge of the crowd, she caught the words someone was saying, concern coloring his tone.

"Are you sure Glowerhaven's okay with this? What little we _do_ get from them-"

Elsa held up a hand, grinning slightly. "I spoke with the Gym Leader of Glowerhaven yesterday. He offered his Gym for the tournament and they started the entry battles this morning. They're well versed in turning things to their advantage and think this 'stunt', as they call it, will emphasize the connection between our cities rather than weaken it. The Mayor herself assured no negative repercussions." The blonde shrugged, bringing Anna's attention to the pack on her shoulders, a slightly different shade of blue than her jacket. "It's not for that long, comparatively, and travel is slow in the winter anyway. They even sent the winter shipment ahead of schedule as a show of good faith, so it should arrive tomorrow afternoon."

Anna felt her heart jump into her throat but tried to will it back into place. Whatever Elsa had planned, that was the blonde's business, despite the burning curiosity settling in the back of her mind. She just hoped the Gym Leader wasn't considering anything drastic, like leaving town for good like Lucius had. That would certainly put a damper on Anna's excitement to return.

"Anna!" Kristoff pushed through the crowd to throw an arm around the redhead's shoulders. He barely stopped in time, eyes falling on the sling and instead put a hand on her good shoulder, steering her towards Elsa. "Come on!"

"Kristoff? What's going on?"

"You'll see!"

Anna rolled her eyes but played along, taking the spot indicated for her, once again beside Elsa. The blonde flashed her a smile before turning her attention to the crowd once again. This was apparently the signal everyone was waiting for as they surged forward to wish her luck on challenging the Pokémon League.

The redhead noted they were also wishing Elsa luck on her travel.

"So, you're going to Glowerhaven?" Anna turned to the blonde as the last person stepped away, the whole town chatting excitedly among themselves. She mentally smacked herself for not leaving well enough alone but found her attention pulled back to the blonde as a blush started rising in her cheeks.

"And then some," she replied, reaching up to fiddle with her braid absently. "If you don't mind."

The redhead furrowed her brows. "Why would I mind?"

Elsa took a steadying breath but refused to meet Anna's gaze, instead focusing on the crowd before her.

"Well, I was going to offer to travel with you to Glowerhaven, since I know the trails the best of anyone in town. Plus, with your arm in a sling, it's going to be difficult going down the mountain." Elsa paused, dropping her gaze to the ground. "Then, I started thinking that... if it's okay with you... I can go with you to the League. Not because I want to challenge them myself or because I don't think you can't get there on your own or anything like that. I would... just like to go with you... I guess."

The lame finish seemed to wear on the blonde moreso than Anna, a goofy grin on her face as she watched Elsa's cheeks flush. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kyurem swing his head towards her.

"_She had two choices: stay and wait or go with you. I was more persuasive._"

Anna pointedly ignored how smug he sounded about that, instead focusing on the Gym Leader- no, on _Elsa_. The woman who was apparently so worried about her, she was offering to personally escort her halfway across the region and back. Who hadn't left Arendelle City since taking over the Gym so it wouldn't disrupt the locals' way of life.

"So..." Anna started, flashing a brilliant smile as she set her hand on her hip. "We're going to stop over in Glowerhaven for a bit, I take it?"

Elsa allowed herself a tentative smile. "They're holding an impromptu tournament. By the time we get down there, they should have the assembled trainers narrowed down to eight finalists." She furrowed her brows. "It may delay us by a day, or two if they haven't gotten the finalists yet. If you're willing to wait..."

"That's fine." Anna shrugged with one shoulder, winking as she continued. "They won't last long against you, anyway."

"We'll see." Elsa turned towards the city, casting on last look at the surrounding mountains. "Kyurem, are you sure you'll be okay?"

"_Don't worry about me._" Kyurem lowered his head so Elsa could pet him. "_I will protect Arendelle City in your stead. Your friend will contact you if we are truly in need._"

"Yeah, don't worry about us, Elsa." Kristoff came up next to Kyurem, hesitating only a moment before laying a hand on the dragon's leg. "We'll make it through. Sven, Beartic, and I will even keep up the route patrols, just in case."

"And Marshmallow." Elsa nodded, turning towards the Abomasnow in question. "I guess this is goodbye for now, my friend."

Marshmallow grumbled, sounding discontent for the first time since Anna had met him. With a few tromping steps, he moved to block their path to the route, eyes focused on Elsa. Even Olaf seemed intimidated, hiding behind Anna's leg as the Abomasnow continued growling.

The blonde frowned. "I'm coming back, Marshmallow. This is just for a little while."

The Abomasnow stomped one of his feet and gave a startling roar, sounding more frustrated than anything.

"_He doesn't object to you leaving. He objects to you leaving without him._"

Anna raised her brows in surprise before barking out a laugh. "Elsa! He wants you to catch him!"

The blonde blinked, setting a hand forward to brush through Marshmallow's fur. "But... you've never needed a trainer all these years. Why now?"

"I think you already know why," Anna said, waiting for Elsa to look at her before continuing. "You already told me he doesn't trust you to be on your own." The blonde rolled her eyes, though her lips quirked up into a slight smile all the same. "But really, it's probably the same reason you're coming with me. He wants to make sure you're safe."

"I suppose you're right." As she looked up at the towering Abomasnow, she still seemed conflicted. "Are you sure?"

The Abomasnow growled affectionately, nodding as Elsa backed up. She pulled forth one of the pokéballs on her belt, Glalie appearing once she'd tossed it.

"Come here, Glalie." The blonde cooed, pulling the hovering Pokémon into a gentle hug. "Please, stay back with Kristoff and help protect Arendelle, okay?" Glalie grumbled, obviously not happy about staying behind but hovering over to Kristoff regardless. The blonde gave her friend the pokéball, leveling a severe gaze at him. "Take care of them, Kris. Please."

He smiled. "You've got nothing to worry about, Elsa. Call and tell us how the tournament goes, okay?"

Elsa nodded and pulled a new pokéball from the bag on her back, holding onto it a moment before lobbing it up, not exactly at Marshmallow but close to him. She was giving him one last chance to back out. He did no such thing, lifting his arm and allowing the ball to impact, splitting open and pulling him inside. As the pokéball landed in the snow, Anna watched, holding her breath. Judging by the tension in Elsa's shoulders, she expected the blonde was doing the same.

As the ball stilled, Elsa carefully stepped forward and bent down, picking it up with awe written across her face. The blonde flicked her wrist, sending the ball into the air. In the blink of an eye, Marshmallow was standing before them again, leaning down to help Elsa onto her customary spot as if nothing had changed.

And really, nothing had.

"One moment, Marshmallow," Elsa said, calling forth Glaceon from his pokéball so he could say goodbye to Glalie. She allowed him to roam as she pulled two others from her belt. Much to Anna's surprise, it wasn't Adgar and Idunn who appeared once the red energy faded but Salamence and Druddigon. "These two are more hesitant than the others to accept a young trainer." Elsa explained, noting Anna's confusion. "I chose to take them with me and acclimate them before they act as someone's companion."

Salamence immediately walked up to Elsa and shoved his head into her chest, nearly knocking her off her feet.

"_If they ever want to leave._" Kyurem snorted in amusement.

Anna smiled and reached out to stroke Druddigon's snout, wincing slightly at the rough skin she could feel even through her gloves. It likely didn't bother Elsa given Glaceon's and Glalie's abilities but it would take the redhead a bit longer to get used to it.

"So, are we ready to go?" Anna turned to look at Arendelle City, noticing the pain in her chest lessened considerably as the blonde climbed up onto Marshmallow's left shoulder.

"Ready for anything," she replied holding a hand out to the redhead. "You can take the other shoulder."

The redhead swallowed her nerves as she took Elsa's hand, accepting help from Marshmallow to settle comfortably on the Abomasnow's other shoulder. After a bit of chirping and some careful maneuvering, Olaf was sat upon the larger Pokémon's head, between Anna and Elsa. Salamence and Druddigon took to the clear sky, enjoying their freedom while staying relatively close. Glaceon, for his part, merely walked on ahead, padding through the snow without leaving so much as his pawprints behind.

"Hey!" Kristoff called out just before Marshmallow turned towards the route, a lopsided grin on his lips. "Don't get lost on your way back, okay? We're going to miss you around here. All of you!"

"We won't keep everyone waiting," Anna said, leaning forward a bit too much and reaching out for something to hold onto, her hand finding Elsa's as the blonde steadied her.

"Take care, Kris. We'll be back sooner than you think." Elsa smiled, waving for the both of them as Marshmallow turned and started towards Glowerhaven.

They were barely onto the route before Anna spoke up, trying her best to sound nonchalant. "Hey, so, we're going to be spending a lot of time together. I feel like we should take the opportunity to learn more about each other."

"Oh?" Elsa quirked a brow. "And how would you suggest we go about doing that?"

"Have you ever played twenty questions?"

* * *

Glowerhaven was bustling with trainers running to and from shops along the main road, loading up on potions and other items to restock their packs. When word broke that the Arendelle City Gym Leader was coming down the mountain to battle eight finalists, everyone scrambled to enter the competition and earn their shot at the Blizzard Badge. After nearly two full days of battles, only sixteen competitors remained, everyone else forced to watch from the sidelines or the nearest TV as the competition raged on in Glowerhaven's Gym. A group of teens from the Hoenn region- all of whom were knocked out in the first round- sat around a table at a cafe at the edge of town, complaining to one another while casting forlorn glances at the Gym across the street.

"I just think it's a cheap trick," one boy said, arms crossed over his chest as he scowled at his empty beverage. "Make everyone fight each other instead of letting us _each_ prove ourselves as trainers. That way, whenever she shows up, the finalists' Pokémon are already tired and the rest of us can't even try!"

"The timing just sucks." One of the girls in the group spoke up, sighing. "If we'd gotten here last month, we would've had a straight shot up the mountain."

"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, I'd like an Abomasnow as much as the next trainer, but I don't think I'm going to go hunting through a blizzard to get one!" Another boy laughed, barely upset over his loss the previous day.

"I've heard they're really strong around here, too, like more than- what the heck!?" The girl facing the route to Arendelle City cut herself off, jaw dropping as the rest of the group turned to witness the same thing she did: a Salamence and a Druddigon chasing a Glaceon. However, their attention was caught rather quickly by the Pokémon chasing the two dragons: a towering creature they'd only seen in history texts. "Is that a _Tyrantrum_? I thought they were extinct!"

As the approaching Pokémon caught the attention of more people, trainers began readying their pokéballs, preparing to defend Glowerhaven. Their preparation was for nothing, though, as Glaceon came to a stop shortly after reaching the paved road, turning back to patiently await the others. Salamence and Druddigon dove at Glaceon, appearing for all the world like they were about to attack the smaller Pokémon, only to abruptly pull up and land just beyond him, also turning back to roar at the approaching Tyrantrum.

"What the heck is going on?" The first boy lifted his baseball cap, scratching his head in confusion. The rest of his companions were speechless.

Just as it looked like Tyrantrum was four steps away from reaching the other three Pokémon, an Arcanine and a Pyroar shot out from behind him, quickly outpacing the large dragon type, much to Tyrantrum's frustration. Despite not appearing until Tyrantrum had almost reached the other three, Arcanine and Pyroar joined Salamence, Druddigon, and Glaceon before the other could reach them. Tyrantrum stomped onto the paved road with a bit more fury than was necessary, obviously winded from what was beginning to look like a race between the assembled Pokémon. Although Arcanine and Pyroar were seemingly _teasing_ the largest of them, the other three were content to wait patiently for... something.

"You think they're wild Pokémon?" The second boy edged closer, careful not to make his movements too suddenly.

"They have to have a trainer," one of the girls replied while the other was slowly approaching Tyrantrum.

"I never thought I'd get to see one of these in real life!" She whispered, raising a hand to pet him once she was close enough. "This is amazing!"

Unfortunately for her, the Tyrantrum noticed her presence before she could get close enough, looking at her and opening his mouth wide, releasing a fearsome roar that startled the girl and sent her sprawling.

"TYRANTRUM!" The assembled teens looked back up the path to see a monstrous Abomasnow walking steadily towards Glowerhaven, carrying a slightly amused blonde on one shoulder and an irate redhead on the other. "WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT PLAYING NICE, YOU GOOBER!"

Instantly, the Tyrantrum ducked his head low, tail curling around him as he turned an apologetic gaze towards the mysterious redhead.

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT LOOK! I MIGHT ONLY HAVE ONE ARM BUT I CAN STILL GIVE YOU A BATH!" She yelled, taking a brief moment before slapping her good hand- the other was in a sling, for some reason- to her face. "That was a more effective threat when you were barely higher than my knee. Now, not so much. Dangit!"

The blonde with her chuckled, earning a brief glare from the redhead.

With a gentle grumble, Tyrantrum swung his head around towards the girl he'd roared at, offering her his tail to help her up. As soon as she was standing, he looked back towards his trainer.

"Yes, that's better, but you're still in trouble mister!"

The girl's friends quickly joined her as the Abomasnow and the trainers he carried drew closer to the city's edge, taking note just how huge the Abomasnow was in comparison to the ones they'd seen.

"Are you the Arendelle City Gym Leader?" The first boy asked, craning his neck back as they drew closer.

"Who? Me? No, no! Wait." The redhead turned, looking at the blonde. "I'm not, right? That's still your job?"

"I already told you: if you want to be, you can. It doesn't matter to me." The blonde shrugged. "There's nothing that explicitly says a Gym can only have one Gym Leader. You're... the co-Gym Leader. If you want."

"I'm not sure I'm at that level yet," she replied, refocusing on the teens and smiling. "Anyway, I'm Anna Andersen, from Kanto. I'm really sorry about Tyrantrum; he's a bit of a goober from time to time."

"I-it's fine. I'm just so surprised to see one!"

While her friend drew closer to the dragon type- who was still acting on his best behavior and throwing apologetic looks at Anna- the other girl looked up at the blonde. "So, you're the Gym Leader?"

The blonde nodded. "I'm Elsa Aren of Hoenn, Arendelle City's Gym Leader. And you are?"

"Unimportant," the other boy replied with a wide grin. "This is how you remain undefeated, huh? This giant Abomasnow?"

"Oh, Marshmallow? No." Elsa chuckled. "I just caught him yesterday, actually." All four teens just stared at her while she turned her attention to Anna. "I suppose it's been a bit longer than I thought since I was last down here. Which one is the Gym again?"

"Right next to us," the redhead replied, nodding towards Glowerhaven's Gym.

Elsa cringed. "It's even more ostentatious than I recall. It looks more like a hotel than a Gym." She sighed. "Well, let's check in with Eric and see how the competition is going. I'd hate to delay your journey-"

"Oh, would you stop that!" Anna laughed, smiling at the blonde. "We're in this together, remember? We'll get to Matterhorn and the Pokémon League eventually; all that matters is getting back home safely. Right?"

"Right."

"Good." With a nod, Anna turned her attention to the Pokémon before them. "Alright, guys, this is it: best behavior time. Arcanine, Pyroar, that means _both of you_ aren't going to be provoking Tyrantrum. And Tyrantrum." She sighed, shaking her head slightly. "Tone down the gooberness, okay?"

"Glaceon, Druddigon, Salamence, the same goes for you three. Once we're back on the open road, you may have your fun, but not within the city. Am I understood?"

All six Pokémon responded with varying growls and barks of acknowledgement.

"Excellent. Marshmallow, if you would?" Elsa motioned towards the Glowerhaven Gym entrance, the giant Abomasnow grumbling before setting off, the other six in tow behind him. The teens hadn't even noticed the Delibird atop his head until he began squawking at Anna, the redhead laughing as she ruffled his feathers.

"Olaf has a point; are we really going to march in there like this? Riding Marshmallow and everything?"

"Lucius taught me that half of being a Gym Leader is presentation."

"Which somehow translates to making a big, flashy entrance?"

"Of course."

"And we didn't just ride in on Kyurem because...?"

"I do have standards, you know."

"We're going to confuse a lot of people."

"Your point?"

"I don't have one; I just like hearing you talk and you're not being very forthcoming at the moment."

Elsa chuckled. "We've been talking the entire way down the mountain. You can hear me talk more later."

"But I wanna hear you talk now!" The redhead whined in response. "You're about to be in your serious, cool, confident Gym Leader mode! Can't you cut me a little slack?"

"Fine. What should I talk about?"

"You never answered my question about Unova. Why were you even there?"

Their voices faded as the group moved away from the teens, the four of whom were watching them go with varying degrees of incredulity. They'd each heard scores of tales about the infamous Arendelle City Gym and the Blizzard Badge, but _none_ of those stories ever mentioned dragon types, giant ice types, extinct Pokémon, or that there were _two_ Gym Leaders.

Finally, one of the girls ventured. "So... I'm beginning to think we should just head to Agrabah and take on their Gym."

"Yeah," one of the boys replied, shaking his head slightly. "I'm beginning to think you're right."

* * *

Author's Note: And thus concludes the tale of the Blizzard Badge. Except for a very short epilogue to tie up a few loose ends. Then it's over, for real.


	8. Rumors Confirmed

Disclaimer: Don't. Own. Shit. Also, epilogue.

* * *

_Three Years Later_

Two Pokémon trainers crested the last rise in the path, catching sight of the glittering roof they'd been looking for, complete with three large statues of legendary Pokémon that sparkled in the dying light of the setting sun. After hours trekking up the mountain in the relative cold- thankfully, it was spring, so it could've been worse, but they weren't well adjusted to cooler climates in general- it was a relief to see their destination.

"Finally!" The young man practically shouted in joy, only dialing down his volume at the last moment, with a tentative glance around to ensure he hadn't caused an avalanche. The Rapidash they were riding bucked slightly, throwing a glare back at his riders, though it was focused on the one in front.

"Eugene! Keep it down!" His companion hissed, huffing slightly as she pinched his ear, pulling the zipper of her jacket down just enough for her Kecleon to poke his head out. "See, Pascal? We'll find somewhere nice and warm soon, I promise!"

"Hey, Maximus is warm! Isn't that right, buddy?" Eugene put a hand through the fiery mane of his Pokémon, noting too late his glove had caught fire. He yanked his hand away, patting and waving it to put the flames out. "Gah! Rapunzel, make him be nice!"

The blonde rolled her eyes, leaning forward against Eugene's back to gently pet Maximus' mane without incident. "Ignore him, Max. He deserved it."

"No, I didn't." He grumbled, urging the Rapidash forward with his knees. "He just hates me."

Not bothering to dignify those complaints with remarks of her own, Rapunzel focused on the looming Arendelle City Gym. She'd only ever _dreamed_ of seeing the Gym one day, never actually challenging it herself. In the past two years, the legend of the Blizzard Badge had grown even greater than before, especially now that there was conflicting information regarding the Badge, its Gym, and its Leader. Growing up in Yensid, Rapunzel often heard about the elusive badge from the adults around town, but by some twist of fate was watching when someone appeared at the Pokémon League with the Blizzard Badge and challenged the Elite Four. The battles were intense but the challenger prevailed, and a new Champion was named for the first time in several years. In that moment, Rapunzel dreamed of one day standing where that young woman stood, surrounded by a team of her very own and accepting the title to thundering applause. It was just a dream at the time, something to occupy her time.

Then again, there was a lot of things she'd only ever dreamed of doing before meeting Eugene and striking out on her own. Making those dreams reality was part of the adventure, even if it didn't always pan out like she hoped.

By the time they made it to the Gym, the sun was nearly set, mostly obscured by the surrounding mountains.

While Rapunzel took in the scenery, Eugene was focused on the statues atop the Gym's roof. Along with the widely spread legends, there were less common rumors surrounding the Gym Leader, one of which being that she'd managed to capture and tame the legendary dragons of Unova. Of course, the same rumor also said that the Yensid Champion managed to wrangle a few legendary Pokémon as well, so he tried not to put too much stock into it.

"It couldn't hurt to go inside, right?" Rapunzel looked over Eugene's shoulder, noting his surprise.

"Uh, I guess not." He shrugged, trying to set aside his trepidation. "We'll find out, one way or another."

"Right. Okay, let's do this!" Rapunzel slid off Maximus, waiting for Eugene to join her as they made their way through the massive double doors, the snow crunching underfoot with every step.

Rapunzel and Eugene felt their jaws popped open, staring in awe as the badges from every region they'd ever heard of- and even some they hadn't- adorned the walls. At the end of the hallway, on either side, were two subdued replicas of the Blizzard Badge. Above the doorway were two dazzling replicas, the one on the left bearing a silver banner while the one on the right had what looked like a deep scratch across the face of the badge.

If either thought the yellow sign on the double doors bearing 'push to open' near the middle and 'DO NOT ATTACK THE DOORS' at the top and bottom was odd, they wisely chose not to mention it.

Eugene and Rapunzel stood side-by-side, alternating their gazes from the emblems above them to the doors in front of them. Pascal had poked his head out at the halt in progress, staring at his trainer curiously. Maximus, on the other hand, tired of his trainer's hesitance and bumped him with his shoulder.

"Knock it off, Max!" Eugene scowled at the Rapidash, swallowing hard once before reaching forward. Rapunzel grabbed the other door's handle and they exchanged a nod before pulling them open and walking through.

What they saw absolutely floored them.

Above, a Salamence cut through the air, dodging around a flock of Pidgey, Starly, Spearow, a Noivern, even a few Gyrados and Zubats, and a couple other Pokémon neither trainer could name. Along the arena's sides, there were a variety of Pokémon, most of whom were grouped apparently by their main typing- water, fire, grass, rock, ground, dark, the list went on- but mingling with the other groups without incident. And in the middle of it all stood a young woman, kneeling down to examine a Fennekin's paw.

"You should really be more careful, Fennekin. Stay indoors for another week, then _only_ go outside if one of us is there to put your boots on, okay?" The redhead smiled, petting the Pokémon between the ears. "No more playing in the snow until you can regulate your body temperature."

Eugene and Rapunzel exchanged a look.

"We don't have to beat _all_ of them, right?" Eugene whispered, catching sight of a Manectric and a Jolteon playing some sort of tag with each other, yellow bolts of electricity arcing between them.

"Idunn! Jolteon! Be careful! You're getting too close to the water types!" The redhead huffed, swinging her gaze around. "Adgar! A little help, please?"

A Swampert responded to the call, moving over to shield the other water types while Jolteon and Idunn strayed back towards the other electric types.

"I don't think so," Rapunzel whispered her reply despite the wide grin on her face. She'd never seen so many Pokémon in one place before, of all different types, interacting so happily. This place was paradise! "But... wow!"

"Maybe we should come back later." Eugene looked around, ducking when a plume of flames erupted from the Salamence, despite it being far overhead. "Or not at all. That sounds good, too."

"Don't be like that!" Rapunzel started descending the stairs. "Come on!"

Eugene groaned, following the blonde while muttering to himself. As soon as the two reached the arena, the redhead noticed them.

"Oh, hey! Sorry, I did see you come in. Welcome to the Arendelle City Gym!" She strode forward, a peculiar looking Delibird following close behind. "Are you here to challenge the Gym Leader?"

"Yes!" "No!" The trainers replied in unison, glancing at the other before amending their response. "Not right now."

The redhead looked between the two, slightly confused. "Well, okay. Elsa probably won't be accepting challenges until the day after tomorrow anyway, so you'll have time to rest yourselves and your Pokémon. I highly recommend giving them time to acclimate to the altitude and temperature before challenging as well, but that's up to you. I'm Anna, by the way."

"Anna?" Eugene's brows furrowed a moment before smoothing out in surprise. "Wait, Anna _Andersen_? The reigning Champion of Yensid?"

"Actually, it's Aren now- Anna Aren. That's a bit of a... recent change." The redhead smiled wide and giggled, a blush rising in her cheeks as she approached Maximus. "But, uh, yeah, that's me! Not a big deal though; I told the Elite Four they could name a new Champion if they wanted. I'm not very interested in the title." She turned her gaze to Eugene. "Is this your Rapidash? How long have you two been traveling together?"

"Yeah, Maximus was my starter, I guess." He shrugged. "We kinda... had to work together to survive. He's not very fond of me."

Maximus sent him a heated glare as if to confirm that assessment.

"Aw, that's a shame." The redhead reached under Max's jaw, scratching lightly, earning a whiny of contentment for her efforts. "He's absolutely gorgeous." Pascal poked his head out a little further, the movement catching Anna's eye. "Hey, a Kecleon! You don't see one of those very often."

Anna and Rapunzel laughed while Eugene just rolled his eyes. A deep, rumbling growl that echoed through the enclosed space, followed by footsteps that shook the ground, made his blood run cold though, stepping closer to Maximus out of instinct. Even Pascal retreated slightly at the sound, though none of the other Pokémon present reacted negatively.

"Wh-what was that?" Eugene squeaked, looking around at all the Pokémon to try and figure out who was causing the commotion. Rapunzel looked equally concerned, prepared to zip up her jacket in order to hide Pascal.

Anna turned towards the back of the arena. "Oh, that's just Elsa's Abomasnow, Marshmallow. Don't worry; he's kinda intimidating the first few times you see him but he's really just a big softie at heart." She turned an apologetic smile on the duo. "I'm afraid this means we're about to head out on patrol, though. If you want, I can have Jolteon show you to the local inn after we round everyone up."

"That sounds great!" Rapunzel put on her biggest smile, which faltered a second later when a towering Abomasnow stepped out from behind the Blizzard Badge banner at the back of the arena, another young woman sitting on his shoulder.

"Hey, Elsa! Looks like you have two more challengers!" Anna called out, striding towards the center of the arena. "Alright, everyone! Playtime's over! C'mon, guys, you know the drill! Alpha team, assemble over here so I can get your gear on!"

Rapunzel and Eugene stood in awe as Pokémon started filing out of the arena, ducking into stairwells built into the edges of the dirt floor, ushered forward by the larger of their typing. A few- an Arcanine, a Pyroar, a Ninetails, a Talonflame, a Glalie, a Glaceon, and the Salamence that scared Eugene to bits- made their way to Anna while the monstrous Abomasnow lumbered over to the pair.

"You know, I always heard stories about this, but I never thought I'd actually get to see it." Eugene mumbled, shifting his gaze to Rapunzel. "How the Gym Leader of Arendelle City would spend night after night checking the route for lost and stranded trainers."

"It's taken a while to work out an efficient system, I'll admit, but we do our best," the Gym Leader said, still intimidating atop her Abomasnow but smiling down at them kindly. "As I'm certain you've already surmised, I'm the Gym Leader, Elsa. I'm sorry I won't be able to accept your challenge tomorrow; we have a group of teenagers about to set out on their journeys. Tomorrow they'll choose their starter and we are holding a celebration to see them off. You're both more than welcomed to attend, if you'd like."

"Which Pokémon does Arendelle City offer for their starters?" Rapunzel quickly looked down at Pascal. "I mean, in Corona, they don't usually have Kacleon for a starter; I kinda lucked out and found a wild one who really liked me."

Elsa laughed quietly behind her hand. "We allow new trainers to pick any Pokémon who chooses them in return. The most important part of any journey is the bond between the trainer and their Pokémon."

Rapunzel smiled, hugging Pascal as he made some pleased chirps.

Eugene and Maximus merely glared at each other.

"I think she's making it up," Eugene said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Elsa raised a brow. "When you lose in the first two minutes of your challenge, you'll think otherwise."

With that, Marshmallow turned, allowing Elsa to see Anna astride her Arcanine, the remainder of their group coming up behind her, each outfitted with a harness that bore the Blizzard Badge emblem on their chests.

"Everyone's split into teams! Olaf wants to come tonight, too." She set a hand on the oddly colored Delibird seated in front of her, ruffling his feathers a bit to get a playful squawk of indignation out of him. "Ready to go?"

"Of course."

Marshmallow led the way for the grounded Pokémon while Glalie, Talonflame and Salamence flew out ahead of them. Anna stopped briefly beside Eugene and Rapunzel, offering them a wide grin as she called Jolteon back to them.

"The inn is owned by Cliff. His son Kristoff is the best tour guide in town, and can definitely help you with anything you might need. Otherwise, just let Cliff know you're here to challenge Elsa, and he can set you up with the basics, okay?" She turned her gaze to Jolteon. "And you come straight back home after you show them the way. And don't start anything with Tyrantrum while we're gone. It was cute when both of you were only two feet tall; now, I think Elsa's seriously about to put her foot down if we find one more piece of broken furniture. She still hasn't forgiven either of you for breaking the bed."

Jolteon's ears twitched lower, letting out a soft mewling growl that sounded apologetic.

"I don't want to hear it, Missy. _No_ more playfights while we're away or I'll have Adgar splash you with mud, am I understood?" The redhead's voice had taken on a slightly more severe tone, though her expression softened the moment Jolteon nodded. "I don't think we'll be gone too long. It should be pretty mild tonight." She nodded at Eugene and Rapunzel. "And I hope you two enjoy your stay here in Arendelle City!"

As Arcanine set off to catch up with the others, Jolteon following the large dog at a much more leisurely pace as she waited for those she was escorting. Eugene and Rapunzel exchanged another look.

He shook his head. "You really know how to pick 'em, huh?"

"On the bright side, at least we know _some_ of the rumors are true," Rapunzel replied, ascending the stairs. "Giant ice type Pokémon? Check. Crazy assortment of other types readily available? Check. Home of the reigning regional champ? Check." They made it to the hallway as she flashed him a smile. "_And_ I'd say the rumor about both of them being _together_ is a pretty solid check, too."

"Oh, you picked up on that, did you?" Eugene allowed sarcasm to color his tone, rolling his eyes and sighing. "I guess it could be worse."

"Worse? I don't see how this is bad!" Rapunzel laughed. "This place is awesome!"

"Well, for starters, _all_ of the rumors could be true!" He scratched at his beanie a moment as they stepped back out into the cold. The temperature had dropped drastically in the time they'd been inside and he _really_ hated the cold. To emphasize his point, he hiked a thumb towards the Gym's roof. "Could you imagine if there were _real_ legendary dragon types living here, too? We'd have no shot at beating the Gym!"

"_You're implying you have a shot now, Human._"

Eugene and Rapunzel froze, mid-step, and slowly turned to look behind them. Their eyes were drawn up to the roof of the Gym as the rooftop 'statues' apparently came to life, their gazes drawn to the newcomers.

"Okay, so..." Rapunzel swallowed thickly, a nervous laugh echoing into the night. "I'm starting to think _all_ the rumors are true."

"We are _so_ dead." Eugene grumbled, jumping slightly along with Rapunzel as Jolteon brushed against both of them.

"_It's a bit of a walk to the inn and the temperature will continue to drop._" The white dragon- Reshiram, if Rapunzel remembered the legends correctly- dipped its head low, while its counterpart Zekrom turned to look out over the route.

"_We'll still be here tomorrow, if you truly wish to continue your gawking._"

The two trainers, though stumbling slightly, turned to follow Jolteon, their minds still working to process the information.

"Blondie," Eugene finally said, turning his head towards his traveling companion. "What did I let you talk me into?"

Rapunzel smiled and laughed. "The best adventure of your life!" She picked up her pace, directing her next comment to their escort. "Hey, Jolteon. How fast can you run?"

The electric type seemed intrigued by the question, picking up her pace steadily as Rapunzel tried to keep up. As the two started to disappear into the snowy night, Eugene shook his head and started running after them, Maximus beside him.

When the duo had set out from Corona, they'd no idea where their journey would take them, but they were determined to make it through. All they had to go on was what started every great adventure: a spark and a Pokémon.

* * *

Author's Note: So, thus ends the random Pokémon AU that wouldn't leave me alone until I finished it. Like I've said, not my best writing but this was more self indulgent, nostalgic fun than good storytelling. And, to clarify, Anna's Vulpix and Eevee chose to evolve, Eevee choosing the Thunder Stone to give Idunn a playmate. I've also apparently developed a headcannon that Anna really sucks at threats, in an adorable way.

Now, credit where credit is due; up until about a year and a half ago, I hadn't really revisited Pokémon since the days of Red/Blue/Yellow and Pokémon Stadium as a teen. I was aware of the different generations but I wasn't able to play any of the games over the years. Then a video from TheJwittz showed up in my Youtube suggestions, talking about the impending release of Pokémon X and Y, and nostalgia hit me like a freight train. I watched a ton of his videos and those of TamashiiHiroka, went out, picked up a 3DS and X, and then proceeded to relive my childhood. Seeing as they're a big part of why I got back into Pokémon in the first place (I actually finished the Delta Episode for Omega Ruby about a week before I got bit by this plot bunny), if you happen to have a Youtube account, please give them a subscribe. I don't get paid for writing fanfics, but they do get paid for their videos (I think), so subscribing helps them out if you aren't already, and they have some pretty neat content. Thanks again for everyone who took an interest in this.

On a personal note, I finally finished a multi-chap fic. I'm so ridiculously pleased with myself. _Eye of the Tiger_ is playing in my head right now. I may revisit the universe if I get bit by the nostalgia bug again. Which is highly probable considering I spent three hours breeding for a female Electrike with Static and a male Mudkip just so I could go rename them Idunn and Adgar in OR (really wish I had the WiFi to get my hands on another Ditto).


End file.
